Simply Business
by Honda Katsuya
Summary: Pegasus knows why Kaiba is so cold and unemotional and is willing to do whatever he can to fix what Gozaburo has done. -PegaKai, KaiPegs- -yaoi lemons- Update: Many of the chapters have been rewritten, day 14 up now
1. Prologue: The Night Before

Author's Note: I'm redoing parts of this story, also Yu-gi-oh is not mine, or Tristan and Pegasus would have more merchandising.

Kaiba/Pegasus obviously, with rare hints of Honda/Jounouchi/Otogi

NC-17

Monday – Prologue - The Night Before

Rain poured into the streets of the city at midnight. Seto Kaiba sat down at his computer station and began quickly clicking through each screen to make sure everything was being done the way he expected it to. Everything had finally calmed down and the city was once again peaceful and dull. There were no duels to be had, no monsters to destroy, no people trying futilely to take over the company. Finally, Kaiba had time to take care of his company without having to worry about interruptions of any sort. But other than that, there was nothing else to do in Domino City. There had been no news of Yuugi, not that he really cared. There had been no news of Jounouchi either, which didn't surprise him in the least. Kaiba's eye twitched slightly as he heard the door being opened. Whoever it was opening the door was trying to be extremely quiet. _Mokuba_.

"Seto, it's time to go to sleep. You can do your work in the morning." Mokuba rubbed his eyes and waited for his big brother to leave the computer. Kaiba sighed, knowing that Mokuba would stay right there until he fell asleep himself.

"Alright, fine. You go back to your bed and I'll go to sleep after I shut everything down." Kaiba made a move to start saving his documents and closing them out. Mokuba seemed satisfied with that, but pressed a timer on his watch as he stepped back out the door. Once Kaiba had closed all the screens, a familiar rabbit appeared on the screen and announced that Kaiba had mail. Kaiba's teeth clenched at the sight of the rabbit.

"Great, just what I _don't_ need right now." He contemplated deleting the mail without reading it, but this was the man who created Duel Monsters. If Pegasus ever decided to charge Kaiba for his massive use of the game in his own products or sue him for using the Blue Eyes White Dragon in all his constructions, things wouldn't be pretty. Grudgingly, he opened the email to see what Pegasus had to say.

"Kaiba-boy. I have a business proposition for you… Meet me in Duelist Kingdom in the morning. I promise I'll make it worth your while."

For a while, Kaiba just sat staring at the screen, and then continued to shut the computer down into complete blackness. He turned in his chair and stood up to head for his room.

"Heh…should I go?" He never saw the concerned look on Mokuba's face as the younger brother disappeared into his own quarters. Kaiba undressed and climbed into bed, only to stare at the ceiling for hours before he submitted to the darkness behind his eyes and fell into a dreamless sleep.


	2. Day One: An offer he can refuse

Tuesday - Day One - An Offer He _Can_ Refuse

Kaiba woke up only to be greeted by the same heavy patter of rain that put him to sleep. He sat up and held his head in his hands as he fought off the childish urge to just crawl back under the sheets. Normally he would have stayed on the computer all night, but Mokuba had been threatening to call a doctor that would force him to get some sleep. Kaiba refused to see any kind of doctor if he could help it; he refused to admit there was anything even wrong with him. He didn't, however, want to upset his little brother so he decided to humor him. He began changing into new work clothes when he remembered what happened the night before._ Pegasus's email. Heh. The nerve of that man, trying to get me to go to Duelist Kingdom again._

"I'm not scared of him," Kaiba growled quietly as he swept through his mansion on his way to the limo waiting for him. _Yes you are_. Kaiba's eyes narrowed as his own thoughts dared to betray him. He saw his little brother making breakfast in the kitchen and exchanged a brotherly smile with him before continuing on his way. "Mokuba, I'm leaving! Don't forget to go to school!" Kaiba scooped up his briefcase from its place by the door and stepped outside, closed the door, and climbed into the waiting limo.

Fifty minutes had passed and Kaiba was growing more impatient with his driver with each passing second. _What is taking so long?_ He opened his briefcase and sat up his laptop, thinking he could get some work done if it was going to take forever to reach the building. All of a sudden, the videophone installed in the seat in front of him began to ring. _Hmm?_ He reached over and answered the phone, thinking it might be his driver finally telling him why they were late.

"Hello, Kaiba-boy. I didn't think you would take my little message very seriously last night, and judging by your attire, I guess I was right." Pegasus was smiling on the other end of the line, which only made Kaiba clench his teeth tighter. "Oh, and there was one thing I forgot to mention in my e-mail. I'm providing your transportation out here. See you in awhile, Kaiba-boy!" The phone clicked off, leaving a black screen and a confused Seto Kaiba. Kaiba shut his briefcase and rolled down the window, his eyes widening as he realized that the limo wasn't driving down a highway, but was sitting on a barge in the middle of the ocean. Kaiba's fist went slamming into the seat in front of him.

"Damn you, Pegasus!"

~*~

Several hours later, the barge pulled up to the dock and the limo drove onto the island, parking up the hill behind Pegasus's castle. Kaiba opened the limo door and stormed out with his briefcase in tow. There wasn't much he could do now, so he walked up to the door and entered, blue eyes in search of the man that forced him to come here against his will. He stepped into the elevator and set it for the floor of Pegasus's office. As he heard the elevator sound, he barely gave the doors enough time to open as he entered the hall. Pegasus's door opened of its own accord as Kaiba approached it.

"Well hello, Kaiba-boy. Nice of you to visit." Pegasus was cheerfully smiling at him from the other side of the door. "Won't you come in?"

"Cut the crap, Pegasus. Why did you bring me here?"

"Why so huffy, Kaiba? I didn't make you climb those awful stairs did I?" Pegasus smiled and kept his composure while Kaiba simply glared at him. Pegasus shook his head and sat on his desk. "Fine. You may as well sit down then. You're going to be here awhile."

"You mentioned some kind of business deal." Kaiba sat down and folded his arms over his briefcase almost protectively. "You're not getting control of Kaibacorp, so you can just forget it."

"You misunderstand me, Kaiba-boy. I want nothing out of this deal. I intend to give you control of Industrial Illusions if you are willing to go through with my plan." Pegasus paused as he saw Kaiba's eyebrow arch upward in either curiosity or suspicion. "Anyway...my plan is this: Stay with me for two weeks, and my company and all my properties are yours."

"What are you up to?" Kaiba moved his briefcase off of his lap and made a move to stand up. "What's the catch?"

"I just want to help you out a little, that's all." Pegasus reached out to touch Kaiba's shoulder and have him sit back down. Instead, Kaiba swiped his free hand at Pegasus, not wanting to be touched at all. Kaiba hadn't intended to hit Pegasus, but his sudden movement made Pegasus's hair fly back, revealing a tightly shut left eye where the Millennium Eye had once been. Pegasus's hand quickly went to cover it so that Kaiba wouldn't look at it. "I'll give you the day to think about it, and I had one of your men bring your Blue Eyes jet as well. Leave if you want, but if you have a positive answer, I'll be at my chateau on the second floor. You know the one." Pegasus slid off the desk and left the room.

Kaiba blinked and stared at the door for quite some time. _That wasn't normal behavior_. He stepped over to the window and looked outside. His limo was still there and he could easily see that Pegasus wasn't lying about his jet since It was sitting on the landing; he could leave and go home. _He wants to give me his company? Why?_ Kaiba scowled as he tried to figure out what Pegasus could possibly be up to.

"Two weeks? If I can get control of his company, I won't have to worry about him anymore. I could crush him and bring him down to nothing if I needed to. Damn it, what is he up to?"

~*~

Later in the day, Pegasus sat curled up on his couch watching television with a wineglass in his hand. He sighed lightly, his hair once again covering his missing eye. Without his magic, he had no way of knowing if Kaiba were coming or not, but he hoped that he could read him in other ways. It would take Kaiba less than twelve hours to arrive in his Blue Eyes jet, if indeed he came, but Pegasus knew he could be waiting a long time regardless of his decision. He glanced over at the window and saw a shine of light through the darkness. Pegasus's mood brightened again as he saw that Kaiba was indeed at the castle. It was only a matter of time before the elevator doors opened and arrived at his private den. Kaiba stepped into the room, dressed not in his work clothes, but one of his casual outfits, along with a trunk, his briefcase and walked towards Pegasus.

"Why do your castles all have elevators anyway?"

"Each of my islands was manmade, I'm not stupid. Do you really think I was going to climb all those stairs at Duelist Kingdom myself?" Pegasus chuckled softly and set his glass down. "I assume you've made a decision?"

"I went home and Mokuba wasn't there, where is he, Pegasus?"

"Don't worry about that, I've already asked the Mutous to invite him over for the next two weeks."

"How did you know I'd say yes?" Kaiba arched an eyebrow.

"I didn't…" Pegasus smiled thinly at Kaiba.

"Okay, I'll stay." Kaiba sat in resignation down on the couch as far from Pegasus as possible. "What will we be doing while I'm here?"

"Because of the time difference, it's still somewhat early in the evening, but I'm sure you must be exhausted from all this travelling, I mean nine hours by barge, and then your trip here, so we can start the activities tomorrow." Pegasus smiled at him. _Wonderful. We'll have you acting human in no time, Kaiba-boy._ "Meanwhile, watch TV with me, it'll be fun. I've got every channel in English, Japanese, and French."

"I don't really watch…anything." Kaiba stared blankly at the television.

_You will, Kaiba-boy. You will._

As the night progressed, Pegasus watched the man beside him more than he did the television screen. When Kaiba began displaying signs of fatigue that he fought hard against, Pegasus stood up and motioned for him to follow. Kaiba glared at him but grabbed his luggage and complied out of necessity.

"Where are you taking me, Pegasus?"

"To your room of course." Pegasus smiled over his shoulder at him. "You can set up your laptop in there and everything, the internet is hooked up and ready as well." Kaiba gave him a suspicious look when he mentioned the contents of the briefcase. "What? You didn't think I was expecting you to bring your cards, did you?" Pegasus chuckled as he pushed a door open and let Kaiba take a look around. The only window was behind a lavish mahogany desk and the bed was far more luxurious than a mere guest room should have. "If you need anything…well, all my servants have been dismissed for the next two weeks, so you'll have to come ask me. I'll leave my door open so you can find me."  
"Yeah, right." Kaiba snorted as he set his briefcase on the desk. Pegasus only smiled and quietly took his leave.

_Goodnight, Kaiba-boy…_


	3. Day Two: A picture is worth 1000 words

Wednesday - Day Two - A Picture is Worth 1000 Words

Kaiba sat up in the bed he had been given and stared at the rising sun. He would not be going in to work today; he would not see Mokuba off to school. He hadn't got more than a few hours of sleep that previous night before he was talked into travelling halfway around the world. Pegasus's castle seemed to haunt him, but he had come willingly. The whole castle was eerily quiet and there weren't any servants bustling into the room or tending the castle in any way.

"I feel like a prisoner…" Kaiba shifted his position on the bed and reached for his laptop. There was new mail from Yuugi that said Mokuba had gotten to the game shop safely after school. Kaiba closed his computer quickly and set it safely out of eyesight under the bed as he heard the door opening.

"Hello, Kaiba-boy. Have you been up all this time? Oh well, come and eat breakfast." Pegasus smiled and waited by the door.

"I'm not really hungry." Kaiba glanced back out the window.

"Come now…you must eat something."

"I don't usually have breakfast anyway."

"Well, Seto Kaiba, what…do you think you can live on coffee or something? Well, no wonder you're so skinny then." Pegasus stepped further into the room and threw the blankets off of Kaiba, ready to get him out of bed.

"Pegasus! What the hell are you doing?" Kaiba tried to pull the blankets back over him but Pegasus was relentless and finally lifted Kaiba over his shoulder in triumph.

"We're going to get some breakfast in you, Kaiba-boy."

"But I'm in my _underwear_," Kaiba muttered as his face became a furious shade of red. Pegasus raised an eyebrow curiously at Kaiba.

"Does that matter? We're just going to eat breakfast, not take a walk in the park. Besides, you can hardly say that you're unclothed." Pegasus motioned to Kaiba's undershirt and flannel pants, then giggled and dragged Kaiba out of his room and into the dining hall. Pegasus sat him down in a chair and sat beside him. The table was full of several kinds of sausage, bacon, eggs, cheese and toast.

"Who made all this?" Kaiba said, avoiding looking directly at Pegasus.

"I did. When I was little, I had my cooks teach me everything they knew. My father found out and fired them though…" Pegasus held an elbow on the table and rested his head on his hand. A moment later he blinked as he noticed Kaiba staring at him oddly. "Oh sorry, go ahead and eat something. Don't mind me."

"Apparently they didn't teach you table manners," Kaiba muttered under his breath with a smirk. Whether he had heard what Kaiba said or not, Pegasus seemed to ignore his little comment.

"Kaiba-boy, if you don't start eating, I'll come over there and feed you instead. Honestly, you don't even have the strength to fight back if I were to try."

"…whatever," Kaiba grumbled and took some of the food offered and began eating without looking at Pegasus.

"Not that I would mind feeding you, Kaiba-boy. I probably could do a better job than you've been doing the last ten or so years…"

"Shut up and let me eat," Kaiba hissed and twitched in anger. Pegasus simply smiled and laughed quietly as he got himself his breakfast. The two of them ate silently after that, but Kaiba's stomach was very angry with him for eating so much more than his usual meal. Pegasus tried not to snicker every time Kaiba groaned as his stomach roared audibly in protest.

"Don't worry, your stomach will get used to it in a day or two…I'm sure the poor thing has been starved up until now."

"I told you to shut up," Kaiba murmured as he finished eating. Pegasus had meanwhile had stood and pushed his chair in, then hoisted the tired and cranky brunet to his feet before he could react. "And stop touching me." Kaiba swiped at Pegasus's hands again.

~*~

Meanwhile, back in Domino City, Mokuba had come home from school with Yuugi and stared out the windows of the small shop.

"You're worried about your brother, aren't you?"

"Huh? Yuugi…I'm sorry, I guess it's kind of noticeable." Mokuba didn't even look at him as he spoke. "Yeah, I am worried. This is Pegasus after all, but I trust you when you say he won't try anything."

"Pegasus doesn't have the Millennium Eye anymore so Kaiba should be fine. I know he doesn't believe in magic or anything, but I know you believe me."

"My big brother has always been set in his ways ever since he became CEO of our company, I'm just afraid that it's slowly killing him." Mokuba looked down at the floor. "And the sad part is, the only other person Seto ever interacted with in a normal way was Pegasus…at least, before he took our souls."

"Pegasus has changed a lot without his Millennium Eye, so hopefully he can help Kaiba change too."

"Yeah…" Mokuba turned his gaze back towards the window and sighed.

~*~

At Pegasus's chateau, Seto Kaiba had finally gotten dressed and started to pace the den like a caged lion, bored out of his mind. He couldn't work because Pegasus had stolen and hidden his laptop and he hated being idle.

"Damn it, you said you'd tell me what I'm going to be doing here, so tell me!"

"Patience, Kaiba-boy…we're in France, relax a little!" Pegasus merely sat as he stared at Kaiba in amusement. "Well, I've decided we can either go swimming or open up my art room and paint." Pegasus stood and waited for Kaiba's opinion. Kaiba, meanwhile, was mulling both options over in his head. _Swimming? No, I don't need to see Pegasus in swim trunks._ The thought paused in his head a bit longer than he would have liked._ Painting, hmm…designing is kind of like working, isn't it?_

"Painting," Kaiba said simply, without bothering to discuss his decision.

"Very well then, let's go." Pegasus grabbed Kaiba's hand and began practically dragging him down the hall. When they got to the art room, Pegasus let go of Kaiba and opened the door. "Careful, I probably need to open the windows; I haven't used this room in ages." He stepped inside and opened the windows for ventilation. Kaiba slowly followed after him and glanced around. There were a lot of pictures of a woman, some left unfinished. He wouldn't ask why, since it was none of his business. Pegasus set up two easels, moving blank canvases onto them before setting the paint out around them. Pegasus offered Kaiba a poncho so as not to get paint all over his clothes and began starting his own painting.

"So…what do I do?"

"Honestly, Kaiba-boy," Pegasus arched an eyebrow. "You pick up the brush and apply it to the canvas. Do whatever you want. Go ahead, it's acrylic, it won't hurt you."

"…whatever." Kaiba selected a paintbrush and began to paint the only things that mattered to him. Hours slowly went by and Kaiba eventually finished his painting. It was a picture of Mokuba with a Blue Eyes White Dragon curled around him protectively. It wasn't the most realistic, but he was pleased with it.

"Why Seto Kaiba, are you smiling? I wasn't aware you were capable of that." Pegasus grinned as he peered over at the painting. Kaiba was immediately snapped out of his calmer state of mind and glared at Pegasus. "Well now that's the Kaiba I know." Kaiba then moved over and took a glance at Pegasus's painting, which was much different than the ones strewn about the room. This particular painting was drawn in a very cutesy "chibi" style with Pegasus happily clinging to a Blue Eyes Toon Dragon.

"What the…" Kaiba took one look at the toon monster and back at its creator. "Damn you, Pegasus!" Kaiba's voice rose a couple of notches as he said that, which caused Pegasus to dissolve into fits of laughter. "It's not funny!"

"Oh, but it is, Kaiba-boy!" He gasped as he felt something wet collide with his face.

"Now that's funny." Kaiba smirked at the blue paint now on Pegasus's cheek. He had thought that would stop Pegasus's laughter, but he should have known better. Pegasus only giggled and grabbed some of the red paint and flung it at Kaiba. Slightly shocked at this turn of events, Kaiba threw more paint at the childish Duel Monsters creator and got more paint on him in return. Pegasus finally ran out of paint and quickly ran out of the room to escape Kaiba's onslaught of blue and white. Kaiba stepped out of the room after that and went to his room to wash the paint off of himself. He really didn't like that toon version of _his_ dragons. Although, he hated to admit it, but that painting of Pegasus cuddling it was kind of cute. He'd never tell Pegasus of course. Kaiba stared in the bathroom mirror and groaned as he scrubbed the paint off his face.

"If this is just the first full day with Pegasus, what's tomorrow going to be like?"


	4. Day Three: Repressed memory

Day Three – Repressed Memory - Thursday

Kaiba woke up to find breakfast waiting for him on the desk and rose to his feet. Strange, he didn't remember falling asleep. He snorted at the offered food and got dressed. _I guess Pegasus gave up on dragging me to the dining room today_. He would have dumped the food out the window, but stopped when he opened the silver cover. Blueberry pancakes awaited him, the kind his mother used to make—wait, since when did he ever think of his parents?

"_Seto," _he heard in his memory_. "Breakfast's ready." _He saw a five year old version of himself run up to his very pregnant mother and happily accept the offered plate. _ "Blueberry, to match your beautiful eyes," _he heard her say. He saw himself blush as he bowed to his mother politely and sat at the table. Young Seto ate his blueberry pancakes in peace and glanced at the nearby calendar. July 7th. Nothing special rang in his young mind about that day, until he heard his mother scream.

"_Mother!"_

"_Aoshimaru, I need to go to the hospital now!" _His mother shouted as he noticed a pool of water around her feet.

"_Hikoba!" _The man Kaiba recognized as his birth father dashed into the room and helped his wife out the door and into the car as little Seto followed along blindly._ "Seto, lock the door and take your mother's bag to the car." _Seto nodded and rushed to get his mother's baby bag, then ran back out the door, then latched it on his way out and met them in the car. _"Keep your mother company and help her stay calm."_ Seto nodded and stroked his mother's forehead with a baby wipe from the bag and held her hand gently. Seto noticed his father's agitated expression as he drove but thought nothing of it.

Hours passed as his mom went into labor while he stayed in the waiting area with other anxious families. Seto's father ruffled his son's hair as a nurse came out of the delivery room and motioned him over. He gave the nurse an odd look and ran into the room with her, causing Seto to run to the door and listen in.

"_Shinomori-san, your son is healthy, but I'm afraid your wife won't last the night. The operation was too much of a strain on her body. I did everything I could, but she's refusing to wake up."_ Seto had been only five years old, but he understood every word, his mother was dying. He dropped his mother's bag at the door as he made his presence known. Seto's father immediately scooped him up into his arms and hugged him tightly, making sure not to patronize his intelligent son.

"_Don't worry, Seto…your mother will live on in your baby brother's soul. Her body has to stay here, but her spirit will come home with us."_

"_What's the baby's name?"_

"_I haven't named him yet, would you like to help, Seto?"_

Seto looked down at the baby blanket sticking out of the top of his mother's purse. It was white with a pattern of repeating blue rocking-horses.

"_Mokuba…"_

Kaiba came back to reality as tears fell down his face for the first time in years. _Why, why did I remember that? I was five…I thought I'd never think of them again… _Kaiba held his face in his hands.

"_Big brother!" _He heard Mokuba say in a recent memory. _"Is it okay if I ask the cook for blueberry pancakes?" _

"_Sure, whatever,"_ he had heard himself say in response as he worked at his laptop.

"_Thanks, Seto. They're my favorite kind…they remind me of you somehow…"_

Pegasus stepped into Kaiba's room to find the younger man crying over his now cold breakfast and it took him by surprise. Kaiba never shed a tear, not even when he was separated from his brother, and yet here he was full out crying.

"Kaiba-boy?" Pegasus whispered, which caused the other man to lurch around and quickly wipe his face.

"What?" His voice was oddly strained.

"What's the matter?" Pegasus sat down on the bed. "Come here."

"Nothing."

"Seto, tell me." Pegasus looked at him with genuine concern. "I won't let you out of my sight until you do."

Kaiba sighed and sat down on the bed faced away from Pegasus.

"Blueberry pancakes…were the last thing my mother ever cooked for me. She went into labor and died soon after Mokuba was born. It wasn't too long after that—three short years--when my father died in that accident. They're Mokuba's favorite..." He held his head tightly and gave a frustrated growl. "I don't believe in spirits, damnit, but…he's my only link with her and the only family I have left."

"I'm sorry," Pegasus sighed. "Had I known…"

"It's not your fault. This is my problem alone."

"Hey, why don't you call him today? It would probably do you both good to hear each others' voices again." Pegasus looked at his watch. "It's probably about three or four in the afternoon about now."

"Thanks, I'll do that." Kaiba actually started to smile until Pegasus hugged him close, then his face turned to a scowl as he struggled. "Hey!" He squirmed out of Pegasus's arms and grabbed a pillow to fling in the older man's face. Pegasus laughed and caught the pillow.

"I'll behave today, I promise. Just let me know if anything else is going to upset you, okay?"

"Just the fact that you're breathing upsets me…do something about that." Kaiba smirked as he left the bedroom.

"Ah, now that's my Kaiba-boy!" Pegasus laughed and stood to follow him and paused as they reached the hallway. "You may use my office phone if you wish, it's just down the hall." Kaiba turned around and looked Pegasus in the eye.

"Don't get me wrong, if you ever tell anyone about what you saw or what I mentioned, I will make you wish you were dead."

"I wouldn't dream of it," Pegasus replied in a subdued manner and crossed his arms as he turned and walked away. Kaiba frowned as he walked the opposite direction. _What is this feeling?_ Pegasus had given him what he could only describe as a despairing look before he turned his back. _Is this…guilt? But why?_ He shook his head as he stepped inside and turned on the monitor sitting on the desk. _Why would I care if I hurt Pegasus's feelings?_ Kaiba's frown deepened the more he thought about the older man. _Wait, just how exactly did I hurt his feelings? He never takes me seriously…_

"Damn it!" Kaiba slammed his fist against a nearby wall. "I've got to stop thinking about this." Not soon enough, the computer booted up and he reached for the receiver connected to it. He took a deep breath and sat at the desk, dialing the Kame Game Shop's number.

"Game Shop," Yuugi's voice rang cheerfully through the line as the screen showed a "no signal" message.

"Yuugi. Is my brother there?" Kaiba glanced at the time and realized he had no idea what time Mokuba actually went to school.

"Oh hey, Kaiba. Yeah, Mokuba's home for today. This is the shop's line though, so I'll transfer you to our private one. We just got a videophone installed, and—"

"Yuugi. Mokuba." Kaiba fought back an irritated growl.

"Oh, right, sorry!" The line went silent for a few minutes, the monitor clicked on, and then Mokuba appeared on the screen.

"Big brother!" Mokuba smiled as he greeted his brother, but immediately stopped when he saw the look on his brother's face. "Whoa…you don't look too well, are you okay?"

"I had a rough and irritating morning, how about you?"

"I'm doing alright. Yuugi's usually busy with the shop so I'm kind of lonely until closing time. Oh, but I'm fine, Seto…it's _you_ I'm worried about."

"I can take care of myself, Mokuba." Kaiba smiled at his little brother. "You know that."

"I know, but I'm still worried—I can't help it."

"My day's going a lot better since Pegasus let me call you. I didn't think I was going to get to see you until this thing ended—he's hidden my laptop somewhere."

"Seto, he has your laptop?"

"It's well protected, Mokuba. There are sixteen different passwords and twenty firewalls he'd have to crack."

"Well, I've got access to those too, so I'll keep an eye out for anything suspicious from my computer."

"You do that." Kaiba smiled.

"So where are you, big brother? I can see daylight coming through the window and it's getting darker here."

"I'm at Pegasus's castle in the French countryside."

"Wow, that far? So, you must have just had breakfast then, right Seto?"

"Well…" Kaiba's face darkened. "Pegasus offered me some, but I turned it down."

"Seto…" Mokuba scolded. "I think that's why you look so sick. My health teacher says it's the most important meal of the day."

"You know I don't believe in sayings like that."

"I just worry."

"So you've said…" Kaiba laughed and made his brother smile.

"Hey Seto, Yuugi's meeting with Otogi in an hour to discuss merging stores here in Domino and I thought I'd go with him to represent our company. Let me give you this number so you can call here directly next time." Kaiba grabbed a pen from Pegasus's desk and wrote down the number. "Bye, big bro, love you!"

"Later." Kaiba hung up the phone, pocketed the number, and stood. As Kaiba left the office, he noticed Pegasus standing by the doorway with his back against the wall.

"How long have you been there? Were you spying on me?" Kaiba's eyes narrowed.

"It is _my_ office, Kaiba-boy." Pegasus replied coldly with a glare, then immediately softened his expression. "You never did eat your breakfast. I promised to leave you alone, but I'm preparing filet mignon if you'd care to join me for lunch."

"Pegasus." Kaiba frowned and studied the other man closely, then nodded. "…thank you." Pegasus only smiled and led him towards the dining hall.


	5. Day Four: Riding therapy

Day Four – Riding Therapy – Friday

Pegasus waited for Kaiba at the back entrance to the castle, sitting upon a white stallion that stood about eighteen hands high. At his side was a shorter mare at sixteen hands high with a chocolate-brown colored coat.

"Come on, Kaiba-boy, we haven't got all day you know… well okay, we do." Pegasus giggled to himself. "But hurry it up!" Kaiba walked out of the castle wearing the riding outfit that Pegasus had just commissioned for him. It was an entirely white suit with blue trimming and looked very expensive.

"I'll come when I'm good and ready," Kaiba grumbled as Pegasus nuzzled into his horse's mane, badly hiding the snort that followed Kaiba's comment. Kaiba's face flushed as he realized what Pegasus had taken from his words. "Perverted old bastard."

Pegasus lifted his head and laughed.

"I'm only about eight years older than you, silly Kaiba-boy. Come now; get on Cleo's back so we can get started."

"Cleo?"

"Yes, your horse is Cleopatra, mine is named Antony, aren't they adorable?" Pegasus grinned and scratched his stallion behind the ears.

"Let's get this over with." Kaiba climbed onto the smaller horse's saddle and started coaxing the mare downhill.

"Yes, let's. I know these two will want to eat their lunch soon." Pegasus smiled and followed Kaiba down the horse trail.

Kaiba sighed as he rode side by side with Pegasus around the island as the older man pointed out various new constructions to the island. Suddenly Pegasus stopped his horse and tugged at Kaiba's reins to stop him as well.

"This isn't helping, is it?"

"What are you talking about, Pegasus?"

"I'm trying to relax you, but all I'm doing is boring you into a stupor."

"I never asked you to relax me, I'm perfectly fine the way I am." Kaiba sneered in defense.

"You most certainly are not fine, when will you grow up?" Pegasus was starting to look irritated.

"You're one to talk, Pegasus," Kaiba retorted, avoiding the subject as much as possible.

"I know what Gozaburo put you through, Seto," Pegasus whispered so low, that Kaiba was scarcely sure he heard it.

"What did you just call me?" He twitched at the informal use of his name, as well as the mention of his adoptive father.

"Seto. It's your name… after all this time I hardly think we're strangers." Kaiba lowered his eyes.

"What my so-called father did is none of your concern."

"It's not… but it should be your concern. Mokuba is worried about you, I'm sure he told you as much in your conversation with him. Your work habits are not healthy."

Kaiba thought about it and Mokuba did mention it, but he assumed he meant worried about staying at Pegasus's castle. "Come on; let's go back to the stable. I think there's something there you'll like." Kaiba followed Pegasus silently back to the stables as he gathered his thoughts._ So then, was it Mokuba's idea to ask Pegasus for help? Or did Pegasus ask Mokuba about it? Either way, I do not like being manipulated like this._

"Look, if you want to leave," Pegasus started as he dismounted his stallion. "You're free to do so at any time and pretend none of this ever happened."

"And what happens to your company if I do leave?" Kaiba dismounted and followed him into the stable to put the horses up.

"It will remain mine until such time as you decide to go through with this contract." Pegasus lowered his gaze as though he expected Kaiba to run to his jet then and there.

"I am very annoyed by the fact that I was kidnapped and manipulated like this. I--" Kaiba was cut off as he led the mare into the stable where a tiny brown foal lay sleeping. The mare at his side lay down in the hay and nudged her child awake. The small horse wobbled its way closer and began to feed from its mother. Kaiba stepped backwards out of the stall as Pegasus walked towards him. "It's beautiful…" Kaiba whispered.

"He's not very old…young enough to need his mother still."

"What's his name?"

Pegasus blinked, he hadn't expected him to be quite _that_ interested in the foal. A faint blush crossed his face.

"I can't tell you."

"Why not?" Kaiba smirked. "Is it one of your cutesy toon names? Or maybe something more embarrassing?"

"Seto," Pegasus whispered.

"What?" Kaiba asked and leaned closer to hear him.

"No, I mean the horse…I named him Seto, after you."

"Me?" Kaiba flushed. "Are you that obsessed with me? I knew you harassed me daily and take every chance at pissing me off that you possibly can, but this is starting to get creepy, Pegasus. I demand an explanation!"

"You wouldn't like the answer, Kaiba-boy." Pegasus smirked as his eyes, both good and bad, were kept well out of sight by his hair. He dashed into the castle and headed for the elevator to keep Kaiba from seeing his face. Kaiba could almost swear he saw a drop of water as Pegasus ran and began chasing after him. Kaiba leapt to grab hold of Pegasus's arm as he entered the elevator and stumbled forward as Pegasus tried to yank his arm free, both tripping into the elevator.

"Tell me now, Pegasus." Kaiba demanded, keeping a death grip on Pegasus's arm. "Why are you so obsessed with me? Haven't you done enough to me?"

"Why?" Pegasus whispered. "I've been asked why I created Duel Monsters and why I kidnapped Yuugi's grandfather… foolishly trying to revive a woman who is no longer of this world. I've been asked why I watch cartoons and drink wine like a fish does water… I do because they are things I enjoy. But why am I obsessed with you, Seto Kaiba of Kaiba Corporation, my once champion of Duel Monsters, my former business partner, my rival in gaming technology? That is something I cannot answer."

"Why can't you? It's not as hard as you make it out to be. I want the truth. Now. Before I get angry," said Kaiba whose face was already bright red.

"I cannot answer, Seto…because I am not quite sure myself." Pegasus yanked his arm free, causing Kaiba to stumble again as Pegasus pushed him against the wall of the elevator and gently kissed him full on the lips. Kaiba's eyes widened as Pegasus assaulted his mouth and started to push the older man away when something deep inside him sparked. His eighteenth birthday had only recently passed after two or so years of chasing Yuugi to win back his title and he never had any time for relationships outside of him and his brother. Despite Kaiba's attempt to avoid emotion and contact, his young adult body was starved for more than food. His arms rested against Pegasus's chest before he knew what he was doing and closed his eyes. When the elevator reached the floor it was going to, it stopped with a loud ding and startled Kaiba who realized what he was doing and pushed Pegasus away from him, punched him in the jaw, and ran to his bedroom.

"Well now," Pegasus said to no one in particular as he rubbed the developing bruise. "I guess we'll see if he's staying after that little trauma. Idiot, you shouldn't have kissed him so soon." Pegasus bashed his head against the wall of the elevator.

Kaiba made it to his bedroom and locked the door, then sat down on his bed and caught his breath. _My first kiss…and it was him of all people, a man—even if he does look and act like a woman._

"I feel so violated," Kaiba muttered under his breath, then slid to the floor onto his knees as his stomach churned. _So deliciously violated…_ He scowled as his thoughts contradicted him for the second time since this whole fiasco began. "I am not attracted to men." _But you're not attracted to women either, now are you?_ He held his head in his hands as his heart raced. "I am definitely not attracted to _**Pegasus**_." _Then what has you so flustered and afraid?_ "I'm not afraid, not of him, not of anything." _Oh you're afraid, and I know why. You're afraid of getting close to anyone but Mokuba. You're afraid anyone else would be too much to handle and that you couldn't protect them, like your parents. And you are afraid that you'll be hurt again, so you deny yourself anything and everything so that nothing can hurt you._ "Damn brain…" Kaiba muttered as he climbed back on the bed and slowly drifted off to sleep. "Damn Pegasus…"

~*~

Kaiba tossed and turned as he slept, while Pegasus watched from the doorway with skeleton key in hand. _He's still here…but for how much longer? When he wakes up, I'm sure he'll go home._ Pegasus sighed and turned to leave when he heard Kaiba groaning in his sleep.

"…_Pegasus_…"

_Did he just..?_ Pegasus glanced back at the bed to see Kaiba writhing wantonly and gasped. He covered his mouth in shock and flushed as he heard soft, needy moans coming from Kaiba and ran to his room. _I can still see him in my mind…_ Pegasus shut the door behind him and shuddered as images flooded his brain. He shed his clothing, ran to the bathroom, and turned on the shower. After climbing into the cold water he inhaled sharply and leaned against the wall. _It's no use, this isn't working!_ He shivered as he slid his hand down the front of his body as he mentally undressed the beautiful young man he'd witnessed in the midst of an erotic dream. _Ah, Kaiba-boy…the things you do to me…_ Pegasus closed his good eye and ran his hand over his stubborn erection and bit his lip. After some thought, he reached for his bottle of raspberry soap and lathered it on as he ran his free hand over his nipples and moaned as he visualized his hands as though they were Kaiba's. _Only you could do this to me...Seto…_

~*~

Kaiba's dream was vivid, but what made it worse is that he could tell he was dreaming, but couldn't control himself, nor could he wake up. He could only watch from a distance as it took place before his mind's eye.

_"Pegasus…" _Kaiba stared at the man in front of him who was dressed in no more than a loincloth and large, elegant, fluffy wings that curled around him. His own wings were soft, yet scaly, and he wore nothing to cover himself. The two of them stared into each other's eyes—here, in this world, Pegasus had both of them—and Kaiba could see himself in their reflection. Pegasus held him close and whispered gently in his ear as they floated thousands of feet in the air.

_"Seto, are you familiar with the mating habits of dragons?" _Pegasus licked the side of Kaiba's throat. _"They copulate in flight and freefall to the ground, breaking apart only when they get close to the ground."_ Kaiba shuddered as Pegasus's body rubbed against his own.

_"Pegasus, you aren't a dragon…"_ Kaiba arched against him and flapped his wings for emphasis. _"You're more like a swan…"_

_"Why yes, a trumpeter swan. They mate for life, but if one should die…only then do they seek another."_ Pegasus pulled Kaiba into a passionate kiss and held him tightly as they began to fall.

Kaiba broke out of the dream and bolted upright. He shuddered as parts of the dream lingered in his thoughts and he quickly patted himself to make sure he was still dressed and winced when he felt wetness against his legs. With a groan of frustration, he slid from the bed and discarded the white pants and his boxers to find semen running down his skin, then immediately wiped himself clean with his underwear and shoved them in the bottom of his wastebasket. He wrapped his arms around his body protectively as he his body shook.

"What did I just do?"

~*~

Pegasus sat on his knees while the cold water continued to rain down on him as it washed away the evidence of his desire for the young man in the other room.

"What have I done?"


	6. Day Five: Control

Day Five – Control - Saturday

Kaiba noticed Pegasus was avoiding him as much as possible the next day. Breakfast was once again left for him, this time outside his door. He was grateful for the personal space after the previous day he'd had. Instead of ignoring it, he picked at the food and ate what he could, hoping to distract himself from his mind with his senses, particularly taste and smell. After his first dream, he had tried to stay awake while holed up in his room—but awake or asleep, he couldn't get the images out of his head. He woke up feeling more exhausted than when he finally went to sleep and had a severe headache as well and he could have sworn the door had been locked when he first ran inside. Hours passed before Kaiba felt brave enough to venture out of his room. Dressed in his black pants and button-down shirt, he carried the trash bag from his room and looked for a place to dispose of it. Kaiba got in the elevator and headed for the sub-basement level where he found the castle's laundry facility. He dumped the soiled boxers into the washer and frantically disposed of the bag in a nearby trash bin. After they were washed and dried, he headed back to his room and shoved them in a drawer. Kaiba felt eyes on him just enough during the day as he roamed the halls to realize Pegasus was checking on him without getting too close. He sat on one of the plush couches and held his head again, then unconsciously moved his hands to his mouth as he recalled his most recent dream.

~*~

Kaiba stepped into the room slowly and quietly crept up to Pegasus's bed. He saw silver hair splayed about the pillow like liquid mercury—beautiful to behold but poisonous if exposed too long. Pegasus's head was tilted to the side as the rest of his body lay on his back. He wore no shirt and the blankets were falling to the floor as Pegasus breathed steadily but moved restlessly. Kaiba pulled the blankets back further down to reveal Pegasus had nothing on underneath. He was hardly surprised, as it was a hot and humid night. Kaiba's hand moved freely down Pegasus's body and watched in fascination as parts of the older man awoke. Kaiba's hand grabbed hold of the awakened organ and gave a squeeze, which woke the rest of the man.

"Seto? What are you…" and Kaiba saw black.

~*~

Meanwhile, Pegasus had been watching Kaiba as he came back from the elevator and followed behind to monitor his behavior. He didn't dare show himself without first determining the younger man's mood and mannerisms. _He seems troubled about something, but appears to pass off last night as a dream,[/i[_ Pegasus deduced. _If he really knew he came into my room last night, he'd be hanging himself about now._ Pegasus recalled the blank blue look in Kaiba's eyes. He barely had time to question him before the brunet fell on top of him dead asleep. He must have been sleepwalking, or rather dream walking, either way Pegasus was sure Kaiba had not realized what he did. Pegasus watched the younger man's frustration on the couch and sighed silently as he stepped away for the time being, heading for the dining room to eat lunch alone.

~*~

Kaiba was in a mental fog as his body and brain held a civil war. Five years of unused and repressed teenage hormones were overpowering a part of his brain that had long been shut off and locked away. This was the part of his mind that he had lately been arguing with as it sought to break free of its prison. The saner and more acceptable parts of his brain—the rational parts that **never** questioned their owner's motives—worked hard to keep their places in line and tried their best to force back the traitorous brain cells that so tormented their master. Kaiba's migraine only proceeded to worsen as time passed.

"How the hell do I shut my brain off?" Kaiba grumbled. He looked up and saw the television thinking maybe it would help with his problem. After all, Pegasus watched television all the time, and he was crazy. Kaiba flinched and twitched as he flipped through scores of cartoon-only channels. "What…the hell…" Kaiba muttered as he switched to a Japanese animé channel. He began watching a show, which unfortunately for him was _Gravitation_, and was ending just as he started to watch. Kaiba screamed as he witnessed a man kissing a younger one around his age and in an _elevator_ no less. "I give up!"

~*~

Pegasus prodded at his lunch with a fork as it lay only half finished, while Pegasus noted that Kaiba still had not shown up for any semblance of a meal. The food that he did have out was already cold and unfit for Kaiba's consumption as far as Pegasus cared, so he stood and emptied the plates into the garbage. _I really didn't want to get in the way today, but that boy needs to eat_. Pegasus took one last drink from his wineglass and left the dining room. He walked out to the couch where Kaiba lay, noticing he had fallen asleep after giving up on the television. Kaiba didn't move when Pegasus took a seat near him on the couch. Pegasus gently touched the young businessman's face and smiled softly as he watched him sleep. His smile disappeared when Kaiba grabbed his arm and glared at him. Pegasus started to apologize when he realized that those blue eyes were as blank as the night prior's. Kaiba pulled Pegasus into a ravenous kiss and bit down on the older man's lower lip, causing him to yelp sharply. Kaiba took the opportunity to slide his tongue into the kiss, making Pegasus moan softly. _Wait, this isn't right, he's still asleep…but I can't get away…_ Kaiba began gnawing on Pegasus's lip and let his tongue retract. Pegasus took his chance and pushed his body away with both hands. His eyes went wide as Kaiba then grabbed him and threw him down on the floor.

"Seto!" Pegasus shouted to wake the young man. Kaiba blinked a few times, his eyes returning to normal as he came out of his trance. He rubbed his head and licked his lips. _Hn…another dream._ He noticed his lips still tasted of red wine; this one was more realistic than the first. His eyes noticeably widened as he saw Pegasus on the floor.

"Pegasus, what are you doing?"

"Nothing," Pegasus admitted. "I just came in to see if you were going to have lunch."

"Liar," Kaiba snorted. "You're on the floor, that's not 'nothing' you know, and your face…" Kaiba's eyes widened further as realization dawned on him. Pegasus almost looked scared…but aroused. His mouth was puffy and red and was noticeably trying to catch his breath. "That wasn't a dream?" His eyes darkened as Pegasus shook his head. "And last night…that wasn't a dream either, was it?" Pegasus shook his head again.

"Are you going to be okay?"

"No. Something's wrong with my head…and my body. I can't control myself anymore. I have no control over my thoughts or my actions at all."

"Maybe you'd feel better if you…stopped…trying so hard to maintain control?"

"I can't do that," Kaiba scowled. "I have to be in control, I have to **stay** in control at all times."

"Seto, you need to relax…your sleepwalking probably has a lot to do with stress on both your mind and body. You don't need to control yourself to such an extreme, and there are only two of us here, you don't have to…Seto?" Kaiba had been pulling off Pegasus's buttons while he was talking and unzipped the older man's pants before he realized what Kaiba was doing.

"You're right, maybe I should relax. I don't mind letting my body do what it wants, so long as I'm in control of it. And I **will** be in control." Kaiba's voice was so husky and forceful that Pegasus blinked, blushed, and let him be in control.

~*~

Kaiba licked his lips and pulled Pegasus's shirt off, grinning as he saw the expression on Pegasus's face. He leaned in close and sank his teeth into Pegasus's neck as he worked on ripping the offending clothes to shreds. Kaiba clenched his teeth hard into Pegasus's flesh, causing him to screech in pain as he gnawed the skin in an attempt to devour him. Kaiba lifted his head back and stripped Pegasus completely, ignoring the other as he sought to help him with his own clothes. Kaiba slapped Pegasus's hand away and undressed himself, then moved between his legs and continued the kiss he had started earlier while asleep. Pegasus moaned as he returned the kiss feverishly and wrapped his arms around the younger man. Kaiba scratched his nails up Pegasus's back as he kissed him and left red streaks behind. Kaiba bucked against Pegasus's hips and shuddered, leaning back to look at the pale skin beneath him.

"Seto..?" Pegasus whispered. "Do you know what you're doing?"

"Not a clue," Kaiba smirked. "I'm sure I can figure it out, _eventually_." Pegasus squeaked as Kaiba's hand made its way down to stroke his erection. "I may be a virgin, but I'm not _stupid_, Pegasus." Kaiba leaned over the older man to claim a jar of petroleum jelly that was sitting under the end table. _What do you do with this, you pervert?_ Kaiba smirked to himself and opened the jar, scooped a large amount onto each finger and moved back between Pegasus's legs and rubbed his fingers against the other's opening. Pegasus clenched his fingers into the plush carpet and flinched.

"Seto…"

"Is this what you had in mind when you kidnapped me?" Kaiba mused as he slid a finger into his willing victim.

"No—not exact-LY" Pegasus screamed sharply as Kaiba's finger finished its debut and the second one came along.

"Oh, I see…" Kaiba laughed darkly as he prepared Pegasus. "You wanted to ride the dragon, is that it? Well you'll just have to wait until after _my_ dragon tires of the pony ride, won't you?" Pegasus whimpered meekly in response as Kaiba was driving all rational thought from him.

"I didn't…I mean not really, I just wanted to help—ahh!" Pegasus hissed and arched his back as Kaiba pressed his fingers inside him forcefully.

"You expect me to believe that?"

"No, not really. Seto Kaiba believing in something, particularly when it's true? Perish the thought." Pegasus smirked.

"You know," Kaiba smiled all too sweetly. "I could leave you here like this and go home or much worse while I have you at my mercy. Did we forget who's in control here?" Kaiba moved his body and thrust his own erection against Pegasus's slick entrance.

"Ahh! _Yeesss_ Kaiba-boy, er…I mean no, sir…You are, you're in charge." Pegasus squirmed, hoping he knew what he was getting into.

"Good." Kaiba pushed Pegasus's right leg over his shoulder and thrust inside him, pausing a moment as he heard Pegasus gasp and watched as he clenched his eye shut. He watched as Pegasus's body began to relax from the intrusion and finished sliding into him. Kaiba leaned down and kissed Pegasus again as he moved back and forth inside him and thought to himself while instinctively slid in and out. _What am I doing? Why Pegasus? Of all the people I could have had, did it have to be with him? But then again, it's not like he coerced me to do this. It was me. He kissed me once and did nothing else; it was my own body that reacted. It has to be lust, that's the only explanation I can think of…hormones. But it feels so good…_

"I…" Pegasus whispered against the kiss as faint tears slid from his tightly shut right eye. "I love you, Seto…" Kaiba raised his head away from Pegasus's and stared at him in awe as he continued his frantic thrusts. _Love? Me?_ He listened to Pegasus's soft moans and shuddered as time went by all too fast. Kaiba gasped suddenly as his orgasm released inside Pegasus and shuddered as his vision went fuzzy for just a split second. Kaiba continued to move inside Pegasus and thrust against his prostate as he moved his hand to massage Pegasus and bring him off too. Pegasus hadn't much longer to wait as his body flushed and contracted at his peak and let forth a guttural moan as he came. Kaiba pressed Pegasus's wilting erection against his own stomach and watched attentively as Pegasus's fluids leaked out onto his skin. Kaiba slid himself out of Pegasus's body and fought back a gag as he noticed the faintest tinge of red mingling with the white. He stood and started heading to the nearest bathroom.

"Pegasus, get up."

"I would, Seto…but I can't move just yet, it hurts." Pegasus smiled up at him sheepishly. "Not that that's a bad thing…"

"Was I…?" Kaiba cringed and wanted to get the blood washed away as soon as he could.

"Despite what you and many others may think, I was a virgin, well until now." Pegasus winced as he tried to sit up to no avail. "You were the first. Cyndia got sick before we could really…well, you know."

"Hold on…" Kaiba went into the nearest bathroom and cleaned himself off, grabbed another damp washcloth, then walked back out and knelt down to clean Pegasus off. Pegasus shivered at the contact and smiled faintly. Kaiba frowned in return. "I'm…sorry."

"Don't worry about it…we were both inexperienced, a mild tear is only natural, but it's nothing serious."

"I was rough with you." Kaiba helped him to his feet carefully and bit back a smirk as the other flinched and tried to hide his pain. "I assumed you were into that kind of thing, the way you act."

"No, no. I don't usually act like a fool."

"It's not acting for you." Kaiba snorted.

"I'm serious." Pegasus shook his head. "I'm completely level-headed when I'm not thinking of my loved ones. I wouldn't have made my company very profitable otherwise."

"I thought you gave up on the dead girl," Kaiba raised an eyebrow.

"After my eye was ripped out, yes I did."

"But you're still a crazy bastard, explain that."

Pegasus gave him a truly pitying look.

"For a boy genius, you're awfully dense."

"_What_?" Kaiba let Pegasus wrap an arm around him as he helped him back to his bedroom.

"Why do you think I act so strangely around you?" Pegasus almost laughed.

"Because you're a damn fruitcake, Pegasus."

"Guilty," Pegasus could no longer hold the laughter back. "But no, it's because I _love_ you Kaiba-boy, you imbecile." Kaiba's face reddened as Pegasus leaned against his back and sighed heavily as the other man passed out. He lifted Pegasus off the floor and dropped him down on his bed and crawled in beside him—_out of exhaustion, _he told himself—and fell asleep.


	7. Day Six: Aftermath

Day Six - Aftermath -Sunday

Kaiba woke up slowly and stretched his limbs and rolled to one side where he was greeted with a slight, serene face veiled in silvery hair. He blushed faintly and pulled the sheet down to expose the bare skin there. He gently brushed his hand across Pegasus's shoulder and smiled wryly as he heard him mewl in his sleep at the soft touch.

"He hasn't aged a bit since I've known him." Kaiba frowned as he thought of their recent activities. _How could I have done that? I can't forgive you…_ Pegasus curled closer to him and clasped him in a tight embrace. Kaiba sighed mentally and closed his eyes. _What trickery is this, Pegasus?_ He squirmed out of Pegasus's arms and walked to the window. He stared out at the forests and pools across the island, surveying the area. It seemed oddly peaceful as he gazed outside; he'd never stopped to just look before. Saving his company and Mokuba came first. He held his hand at his hip and felt the flannel pajama pants Pegasus had offered him when they awoke the evening before after their—could he even call it _lovemaking_? Did he feel something for the man whose virginity he'd taken the day before? It had felt incredible, Kaiba admitted to himself, but at what cost he couldn't fathom. Kaiba's hand moved to his stomach as he clutched at the windowpane with his other hand. Just the thought of what he'd done to Pegasus made his stomach churn in a not altogether bad way. Neither had moved far from the bed afterwards, except when Kaiba insisted on wearing _some_ article of clothing if he was going to stay all day and night in Pegasus's room. Kaiba's lips twitched as a smile snuck up on him. _Damn._

~*~

"_Pegasus_…" a voice whispered in his ear. Pegasus stirred in his sleep as a vision appeared before him. "_Pegasus… it's time to wake up_."

"_Cyndia_?" Pegasus murmured as the form of a woman spoke to him. "_Cyndia, I'm so sorry for everything…_"

"_It's okay. You needed to move on. Be happy in your life. Wake up, Pegasus…he's waiting for you_."

"Pegasus?"

The silver-haired man opened his eyes and looked to see none other than Seto Kaiba standing above him with a tray of food. Pegasus blinked and sat straight up.

"Who are you and what _have_ you done with Kaiba?" The younger of the two laughed and gave an uncharacteristic smile.

"You're still a little sore, right? I thought you'd want to eat something. I'm not a cold-hearted bastard…well, not completely."

"Could've fooled me," Pegasus laughed, then looked rather serious as he moved to sit on the side of the bed. "About yesterday…"

"I haven't slept that well since Mokuba was born," Kaiba blushed and tried to hide it with the tray. "I didn't realize it was such a stress release…"

"Yes," Pegasus grinned lecherously. "You should have done it ages ago then." He snickered and recoiled as Kaiba snarled.

"Shut the hell up, I'm only eighteen," he snorted.

"Not my fault you had such a big pole up your ass, Kaiba-boy."

"For someone whose crotch is dangerously close to my knee, you're awfully mouthy."

"Ah!" Pegasus flailed his arms. "You're right, I surrender!" Pegasus held his arms out expectantly. Kaiba set the tray in Pegasus's hands and kept a straight face as the other blinked and laughed. "I wanted you, not the food…"

"Well too bad, that's all you're getting." Kaiba smirked then turned as if to leave, then slid an arm around Pegasus's middle, squeezed him then kissed his cheek and fled out the door. Pegasus grinned and ate his breakfast happily. _…Did he actually make this?_

Kaiba had found his laptop stashed in Pegasus's room before he woke and set it up on the desk in his room. He sat and called Mokuba at the number he had been given and hoped for anyone other than Yuugi to answer. Kaiba hoped dearly that his brother would be the only one he'd have to talk to. He saw a familiar brown eye glare as the camera turned on. _Of all the people I had to call, it had to be him_.

"Hey, it's Kaiba!" Jounouchi grinned. "You look less cranky than usual, did you finally get laid or somethin—mmph!" Kaiba twitched as Honda's hand thankfully clamped over the blond's mouth.

"We'll let Mokuba know you're waiting, okay?" Kaiba smirked as Jounouchi got dragged away from the camera. A minute or so passed and Mokuba came to the phone, beaming as he saw Kaiba there.

"Hey big brother," Mokuba said as he picked up the line. "How's it going?"

"Ngh." Kaiba stated, not willing to let his brother know what really happened.

"Well, you look a lot healthier than you did on Thursday. Have you been eating?"

"Yes, I feel better, that's true. I'm…confused though. I don't understand why I'm here."

"Seto, you haven't smiled much since Gozaburo adopted us. I told Pegasus about how he used to make you study 18 hours of the day, only stopping long enough to sleep. And even then, you used the free time for sleep to work behind his back. He wouldn't let you be a kid at all and it was too late to change you when you took over the company."

"Was I really that bad?" Kaiba frowned slightly.

"Not when you were dueling…but ever since things calmed down, you've been doing twice as much work with half the sleep. I haven't seen you pick up your cards once in at least a year, not even to just look at them."

"Hi there," Kaiba soon found Pegasus's arms around his neck as the other greeted his brother on the screen and went rigid. Mokuba's face turned blue, then bright pink in almost an instant.

"This is a private conversation, Pegasus," Kaiba spat his name and growled. With the mention of the name, Honda and Jounouchi moved noticeably closer to the camera phone and pretended to be having a conversation.

"Private?" Pegasus snickered as he saw the two boys eavesdropping and shrugged as he turned his head to the side. "Well you go on with your little fantasy world, Kaiba-boy and I'll continue with my own." He deliberately shook his hips in a feminine manner as he walked back out.

"…" Kaiba coughed and turned back to Mokuba as he realized he had been absolutely _staring_ long enough to know that hip swish had been deliberate. He was, however, grateful that Pegasus had the decency to get dressed before pulling that little stunt. His face was red and he hoped his little brother didn't attribute it to anything but fury.

"Sorry about that."

"Are you okay there, big brother? He's not hurting you, is he?" Mokuba furrowed his eyebrows. Kaiba thought about what _he_ had done to _Pegasus_.

"…no, he isn't." Kaiba twitched violently as he noticed Honda and Jounouchi holding signs above Mokuba's head. '_Kaiba and Pegasus,' _said Honda's sign. _'sittin' in a tree,'_ said Jounouchi's. Honda grinned and flipped his sign over, _'F-U-C-K-,' _and Jounouchi flipped his, _"-I-N-G.'_ Kaiba restrained himself from screaming at them, lest Mokuba turn and read the signs. He clenched his fists tightly. _I'm going to kill them._

"Seriously, are you okay?"

"…I'm…fine." Honda and Jounouchi discarded their signs and began making out behind Mokuba—that was the last straw. "You two idiots get the hell away from my brother!" Kaiba was fuming by this point.

"Oooh…Kaiba swore!" Jounouchi laughed.

"Such a bad influence," Honda nodded sagely.

"Get out!" Kaiba screamed. The other two ran out, satisfied with their game. Kaiba sighed and rubbed his forehead. "I have a headache…Mokuba, will you try to call me next week? Preferably when the loser squad is away. I'll e-mail you the phone number tonight."

"Okay, talk to you later, big brother."

Kaiba hung the phone up and shook his head. Was it any _wonder_ he didn't have friends with morons like that around him constantly?

"So what do you want to do today, Seto?" Pegasus smiled as he reappeared in the doorway.

"Nothing, I want to be left alone. Don't come anywhere near me."

"But Seto…" Pegasus frowned and folded his arms. It wasn't as if he had _forced_ himself on Kaiba, something most people would be more than willing to accuse him if he had been on top to start with.

"Go away, I don't want to see you or hear you."

"You're lying," Pegasus whispered.

"You have no way of knowing what I'm feeling right now, so shut up."

"It's true…however, while I may not have my Millennium Eye, and I cannot read your mind, I can still read _you_, Kaiba-boy. I know you too well."

"Pegasus, you don't know me at all."

"I know more than you think. I know more about you than anyone." Pegasus paused and licked his lips. "I know your mother was very dear to you. I know she died in childbirth just shortly after your brother was born and that's why you are so protective of him. I know your father died a few years later in an accident going to work. I know that your father had no living relatives and your mother's family stole your inheritance and left you two at the orphanage." Here, he took a breath.

"I know you tricked Gozaburo into adopting you and Mokuba in order to give him a better life. I know that day your soul was sold to the devil to protect the one most precious to you. I know how little he let you eat and sleep as he drove you to be the sarcastic sociopathic social reject you are. _He_ is the cause of the unhealthy lifestyle you've lived until now. He abused you verbally and mentally at the very least—and who knows _what_ else. You're so busy protecting your brother that you've forgotten how to take care of yourself."

"Did Mokuba tell you all that?"

"He didn't have to. I saw it all in your eyes when you first arrived at my corporate office asking for cooperation with your gaming technology. I was just too blind to do anything, and I was too naïve to understand that I would never have Cyndia back, not even a lifelike image would have helped—it would have only made me lonelier."

"You could have just _asked_ to use my technology, you didn't have to try and take my company."

"I realize that now and I know I deserve nothing from you. I'm sorry I hurt you, I was never happy until I met you. I thought it was because I could use you…but I know now that I loved you, but I couldn't tell you. I didn't know how."

"I wouldn't have reciprocated."

Pegasus nodded.

"I know. I think that's why half of my mind stuck on her and the other half to teasing you, hoping one day you could."

"What would you do if I said I loved you?"

"Right now?" Pegasus laughed. "I think I'd die of shock."

"Deal." Kaiba snorted. "I love you." Pegasus colored pink and then paled to a ghostly white, but still stayed obstinately alive. "You're supposed to die now."

"Seto Kaiba, you tease," Pegasus smiled and rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.

"No really, die and leave me alone."

"I know you're confused…I expected that."

"I'm going to sleep in my own room tonight, so don't get any ideas."

"Me, Kaiba-boy?" Pegasus grinned. "You're a guest here, do whatever you like." Pegasus reached around to give Kaiba a quick hug before leaving him once more on his own, just as the younger man had asked.


	8. Day Seven: Deep Blue Something

Day Seven – Deep Blue Something - Monday

Pegasus woke up early on Monday morning and slid out of bed. He opened the window and let the warm sunshine in. _One more week to go. What's going to happen now?_ He walked back over to the bed where Kaiba had slept the night before. He didn't blame his guest for opting to sleep in his own room after all that happened.

"Such a beautiful day…" Pegasus hoped that Kaiba would socialize with him after the last two days' ordeal. It was going to be a very warm day, probably the last one for awhile if he'd heard the upcoming weather correctly. He laughed maniacally and ran to the closet, the day's plan forming in his mind.

~*~

Seto Kaiba awoke to find a smiling Pegasus in his room dressed only in a very revealing swim thong. For five minutes they stared at each other with no words spoken between them.

"Get out," Kaiba finally said as he turned away.

"But Kaiba-boy, I thought we could go swim today."

"You thought wrong."

Pegasus paused and sighed dramatically.

"I thought by now that bug in your ass was dead," Pegasus giggled. "Or maybe I have to kill it myself." Kaiba turned pink and glared icily at Pegasus.

"It was one time, don't get used to it."

"Come now, Kaiba-boy. What happened to all that bright cheeriness from yesterday morning?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Liar~," Pegasus sang. He grabbed Kaiba and stripped him down, then fit him in his own bathing suit. Kaiba scowled and folded his arms.

"Bastard. How do you know my size anyway?"

"Uh…" Pegasus laughed. "Lucky guess?"

"I doubt that."

"Well, the way I see it you have two choices. You can come to the pool with me…or I can throw you in." Pegasus paused. "Actually, I rather like that idea."

"Don't you dare." Kaiba glared at Pegasus as though it would scare him. Instead Pegasus laughed and further pissed off the brunet. "Fine, I'll come with you."

"Follow me. The pool we're going to is in a different part of the castle." Pegasus walked to one of the elevators and waited for Kaiba to join him. They went a floor above the den and walked to the back of the castle. Pegasus pushed a hidden screen door open and stepped into what looked to be outside, but was surrounded by four walls. A hidden courtyard, Kaiba supposed. The pool held deep turquoise water, a trick of the tiles of course. Around the pool were slides and diving boards of all heights. Pegasus pulled his hair back into a ponytail and Kaiba grimaced as the empty eye socket became visible.

"Sorry." Pegasus smiled apologetically. "I can't wear a patch, it'd just fall off in the water." He climbed the highest diving board and leapt into the pool, not without a few fancy mid-aid twirls. Kaiba smirked as he thought of all the insults he could to describe Pegasus's actions. "Come on, don't just stand there." Pegasus had peeked back up over the side while Kaiba had been thinking. Kaiba snorted uninterestedly and walked over to the side of the pool, sat down, and blinked as he got a good look at Pegasus's bad eye. If he didn't know better, he would have sworn he saw thin scratches that hadn't had time to completely fade. He didn't have a chance to comment before he was pulled down into the water by Pegasus. Kaiba surfaced and glared at Pegasus who gave only a grin in return. "You were waiting too long."

"I don't really like swimming."

"Well there's not much you do like, yes, Kaiba-boy?" Pegasus smiled cheerfully and then swam away. Kaiba sighed and lifted his legs to float on his back. It wasn't that he didn't know how to swim—he knew most everything worth knowing after all—it just did nothing for him and served no purpose. He closed his eyes and relaxed as he let the water take him wherever it wanted. _He said I could leave whenever I wanted and I could forget everything that happened. So, why am I still here? Do I want to crush him that badly…or is it something else? I said yesterday I loved him, but only because he was irritating me. But did I mean it?_

Pegasus watched as Kaiba floated near him and smiled gently. Kaiba looked so serene, almost childlike as he was absorbed in his own world. He resisted the urge to grab Kaiba right then and kiss him senseless. He reached out and held Kaiba's head still and smiled as the younger man looked up at him questioningly.

"Sorry, you were about to hit the side."

"Why are you so damn cheerful?" Kaiba whispered sleepily.

"Why? Because I'm happy, Kaiba-boy, despite everything…" His voice trailed off into a whisper. "When I'm with you, anyway…"

"You're a fool, Pegasus."

"Indeed I am, Kaiba-boy." Pegasus was more than willing to agree to that, especially concerning the dragon-obsessed boy he'd come to love. Kaiba righted himself and startled Pegasus as he leaned close and kissed him lightly.

"And so am I," Kaiba whispered. "Don't get used to it." He climbed out of the pool and settled into one of the beach chairs nearby. Pegasus blushed and climbed out of the water as well, all thoughts of swimming lost on him now. Kaiba kept saying not to get used to it, yet he kept surprising the older man.

"I'm…going to get lunch ready." Pegasus smiled as he headed back into the castle. _I think I could get used to 'not getting used to' that_.

After Pegasus was out of sight, Kaiba held his face in his hands and sighed. _What am I doing? Why did I kiss him? _He closed his eyes and leaned back into the chair. _Okay, how did I get into this mess? I was headed for work and then I got abducted by Pegasus's cronies and shipped off to Duelist Kingdom. I was told it was to gain control of Industrial Illusions, then I get here, get kissed by someone I've despised for years, end up fooling around with him and find out the real reason I'm here is because of my brother's concern for my well-being. I could leave—my jet is parked nearby…so why don't I?_ Kaiba stood and headed inside. _His company isn't worth this headache._ He found Pegasus setting up the table in the dining room and his breath hitched as the older man smiled at him with a twinkle in his dark amber eye. There was no hint of malice, deception, or perversion in his expression. It was a smile free of any expectations or strings attached—just pure unadulterated affection. Kaiba's heart thumped hard in his chest. W_hat are you doing to me?_

"Lunch is served…" Pegasus pulled a chair out and held his hand towards him.

"I'm not a woman, _Pegasus._" Kaiba blushed and sat down as he pushed Pegasus's hand away. "So stop treating me like one."

"My apologies," Pegasus gave him a fond laugh. "Just trying to be a good host."

Kaiba rolled his eyes as he began to eat the _foie gras_ that Pegasus had prepared for him. _Why is it so hard to leave? Why can't I?_ He glanced at Pegasus who had sat down at the end of the table and hid his forming smile with his napkin. _Why don't I want to..?_


	9. Day Eight: Here Comes the Rain Again

Day Eight – Here Comes the Rain Again - Tuesday

Kaiba awoke to a loud crash of thunder. It was morning but still pitch black, and no lights were on anywhere that he could see. _The power must have blown_. The rain beat down on the windows and the wind sighed against the walls. Kaiba was distantly aware while he slipped on some house shoes that it was a night like this when he first got Pegasus's e-mail. That next morning had been a dreary one like this as he recalled. Kaiba moved from his room and towards Pegasus's chambers. Unlike his first trip, he was not sleep-walking but was drawn there while wide awake. He opened the door and stepped inside and immediately a close bolt of lightning lit the room brilliantly for a few quick seconds. Kaiba gasped inwardly as the room darkened, for in that flash he had noticed the curtains had been ripped down, the sheets torn, and Pegasus was nowhere to be found.

"Pegasus?" All was quiet except for his own voice and the sound of falling rain. "Are you in here?" Kaiba stepped closer to the window and felt the floor squish beneath his feet. Another flash of lightning revealed the shattered window, broken from the inside. "Oh shit!" Kaiba forced the glass door open and walked out onto the balcony. He found Pegasus lying in a bundle of his thin bed curtains soaked in rain and blood propped up against the railing. He moved closer and saw Pegasus was very still with glass sticking out of his flesh. His face was violently clawed to the point of bleeding and clumps of hair were torn from his head. Kaiba fought back a gag and held a hand to his face as Pegasus's empty eye shed bloody tears. He leaned closer and let loose a breath he hadn't realized he'd held as he realized Pegasus had only knocked himself unconscious against the rail—not dead, but still bleeding profusely. "Damn!" Kaiba swore and went back inside to get on his laptop and dialed the only people he knew to be reliable—his own.

"Kaiba Corporation Europe, this is an emergency. I need a fully-equipped trauma medical team sent to my location immediately. I'm sending you the coordinates now."

"Yes, Mister Kaiba." The receptionist replied. Kaiba didn't wait for a response and stepped back outside to wait for them, hovering over Pegasus as his blood joined the rain pooled around him and fell down over the rails.

~*~

"I'm sorry, Mister Kaiba, we were unprepared for this."

"Damn it, what do I pay you guys for?" Kaiba snarled at the doctor. "The most incompetent fools always seem to end up in my employ."

"Mister Kaiba, he's lost too much blood." The doctor motioned to the man who now lay back in his own bed with the other doctors and assistants around him. "The European government isn't just going to let an American use their blood stores without some lengthy red tape and even trying to make it to a local hospital is a stretch in his condition."

"That's impossible! There's no way he could have lost that much blood just from the glass window, not even if he was lying there hours before I found him!"

"Mr. Kaiba, I think you should take a look at him." The young CEO growled and walked over to the bed where a nurse stepped aside to allow him room as the other doctors worked to find all the glass pieces and replace soaked bandages. Pegasus was scarred all over his body from those broken shards. Kaiba could see how badly he was cut now that he was free of his sheets and clothing. What shocked him was that some of the cuts were far larger and deeper than they should have been for mere shattered glass.

"Pegasus, what did you do?"

"He needs about two more pints of type 'A' blood to have any chance of survival, but we've already used everything we had." The doctor behind him explained.

"Is that all?" Kaiba's eyes darkened. "Give him mine, it's the same kind."

"But sir! We can't just do that; the blood has to be processed and tested before infused and you'd be putting yourself in danger."

"Is he going to make it through the day like this?"

"Probably not…"

"Then shut up and do it!" Kaiba grabbed a needle out of the tray threateningly. "If I give him mine, will he survive?"

"Yes, however, there could be complications…"

"I don't care, at least he'll live!" The doctor frowned, as if he were going to argue with Kaiba again, but nodded instead and called on his team.

"Prepare the direct transfusion equipment, it's his best chance. He won't last if we have to wait."

Kaiba lay down on the bed next to Pegasus and tried not to look as one of the assistants affixed a needle and pump to his own skin and just watched Pegasus's pale form. As his blood left him, his last thoughts before succumbing to light-headedness were of following Pegasus to Hell to kick his ass if he died by his own hand.

~*~

Kaiba awoke several hours later as his strength slowly returned to him. He looked over to see Pegasus sitting up and smiling at him weakly while a nurse sat nearby watching over the two men.

"You're awake, Kaiba-boy. This kind lady informed me of what you did for me…"

Kaiba snorted and looked at the nurse.

"You can go now, tell no one of what you saw here." The nurse only smiled and nodded.

"Of course, Mister Kaiba. We're all sworn to keep patient information confidential. Take care of each other." She smiled and stood, then paged her team to come pick her up as she walked out the door.

_So baby talk to me  
Like lovers do_

"Pegasus…what the hell did you do?" Kaiba glared at the older man next to him.

"I never meant for you to find out about that…" Pegasus sighed and leaned back into his pillow.

"Spill it, Pegasus."

"Ever since I lost my eye, I have had times where I felt like my life was no longer worth living," Pegasus lowered his gaze. "Rainy nights especially depress me, sending me spiraling into madness. I'm made aware of my sightless eye on these nights when the sky weeps, it cannot share the same emotion. I'm unable to control myself when I fall into that despair. It seems this time I broke the window and tried to impale myself with the broken glass before flinging myself through it. Idiot. I can't even kill myself properly…instead, I hit my head on the rail."

Kaiba's eyes widened as Pegasus confessed his mental issues explicitly with him. _Come to think of it, that would explain why he acted so self-conscious the day I came…he'd been clawing his eye socket during the storm._

"I'm sorry, Seto." Pegasus whispered. "I didn't mean to burden you with my problems when you have so many of your own, I don't know why you saved me, but I'm not worth it…" Kaiba didn't realize the tears had formed into his eyes until he had blinked them free, something deep within him snapped as he saw how vulnerable Pegasus was, and apologizing for it. Kaiba's emotions exploded.

"Don't." Kaiba lowered his head as his body shook.

"Seto?"

"Don't ever apologize for that again, Pegasus…don't you dare tell me you're sorry." Kaiba's arms found themselves pulling Pegasus in a close embrace. "Don't _fucking_ tell me you're sorry and not worth saving in the same sentence." Pegasus looked up in shock as Kaiba's tears fell against his skin.

"Does this mean you forgive me?"

"I hate you," Kaiba whispered hoarsely through his sobs. "I fucking hate you, Pegasus…look what you've reduced me to. I hate what you do to me…"

"Kaiba-boy…it's not the worst thing in the world to show your emotions…"

"After we get our strength back up, you're moving into my room where there are no large glass doors or windows so I can keep a better watch on you."

"Seto, it's my problem…not yours…"

"Bullshit, I'm involved now. You can't use my own words against me." Kaiba reached up to clear the tears from his face, then gently let go of Pegasus before leaning over him. "Pegasus?"

"Hmm?"

"I hate you…so very much." Kaiba leaned in and kissed him much more passionately than the past two days and more lovingly than the day he had sex with him. Pegasus gasped as Kaiba held him close and kissed him back. Tears fell from his own face as he closed his eye and wrapped his arms around Kaiba to reciprocate the embrace.

_Oh Seto…I love you too…_


	10. Day Nine: Holding Through

Day Nine – Holding Through - Wednesday

The rain had lasted until the next morning and Kaiba had once again found himself waking up next to Pegasus, but under far more innocent terms. They were no longer using Pegasus's bed while repairs were needed since Kaiba had moved him to his own. Used to sleepless nights, Kaiba stayed awake and watched over Pegasus. The previous day saw the younger man bringing him food and helped him move around when he was too sore to try. When Kaiba noticed Pegasus twitch in his sleep at the crashes of thunder, he would stroke the older man's cheek to calm him, glad no one was around to witness it. When the rain stopped early Wednesday morning, he allowed himself to sleep. When Kaiba awoke, Pegasus was still asleep beside him, if a bit closer than he remembered. He shifted, climbed out of the bed, and walked over to the supplies the medical team had left behind. Pegasus stirred as he noticed the lack of warmth.

"Seto?" His whisper was almost desperate as he tried to see him.

"Over here. I need to change your bandages." Kaiba pulled the tray close to the bed and lifted the sheets from Pegasus's body. He helped Pegasus sit up straight as he took to his work. He glanced over the soaked-through bandages, removed them with the aid of small scissors, and surveyed the damage; there were more scars on his upper body than on his legs, mainly around his sides and chest and a particularly nasty one near his stomach.

"I'm sorry," Pegasus whispered as Kaiba cleaned and redressed the more serious wounds.

"You're always sorry lately," Kaiba snorted.

"I mean it, I really do." Pegasus sighed. "I'm supposed to be helping you, not the other way around."

"You're in no condition to do anything today."

"Can we go to my library at least?"

"Fine," Kaiba conceded as he finished bandaging and helped Pegasus into a soft pair of pants and helped him stand. "Where is it?"

"Down at the end of the hall near my office, I'll show you when we get closer." The two slowly walked to the open library and entered, Kaiba sat Pegasus down in a particularly fluffy chaise lounge and went to the shelves.

"What book do you want?"

"Well…"

"And not that damn rabbit manga."

"…" Pegasus paused and smiled. "How about 'Sense and Sensibility'?"

"Right…"

"Oh, they're in title order, not author."

"Pegasus, you're a freak." Kaiba searched through the "S" section nonetheless. He pulled the book free and raised his eyebrow as he noticed a section of sexual psychology books nearby. He smirked and selected a book out of Pegasus's view and dropped the Jane Austen title in his lap. "There." Kaiba sat down and thumbed through his chosen book. Pegasus pretended not to be interested in the book the young man had chosen and read his own. He grinned as he looked over every now and then to see Kaiba blush as he turned a page. Pegasus grew bored with his book and began watching him instead.

"What?" Kaiba glared at Pegasus.

"Nothing."

"Pegasus, if you're not going to read…" Kaiba closed his own book and sighed in frustration. "There's not much else you can do."

"I…" Pegasus rubbed the back of his head. "Breakfast?"

"You stay here and behave; I'll get some leftovers or something." Kaiba sat his book down and left the room. Pegasus took the opportunity to crane his neck to read the title of the book Kaiba had chosen.

"Well now, my dear Seto, what have we here?" Pegasus giggled to himself upon reading Kaiba's choice of Sexual Healing. _Kaiba-boy, what have you planned?_ He smiled and then sighed as he realized he wouldn't be doing much physical activity any time soon with his wounds. Pegasus knew he would heal more quickly than normal people because he could afford the more experimental treatments and medicines that others had no chance of using, but it did little to console him. As the time passed, Pegasus began getting very bored and lonely, picking at his bandages. Kaiba came back and sat a tray of eggs, a glass of juice, and a bottle of pills next to Pegasus on a coffee table and sat back down in his own chair with a plate of his own. A tear rolled down Pegasus's cheek as he took the offered food and his medicine. "Thank you…"

"If you want to thank me, stop throwing yourself through windows and doors."

"Yes…" Pegasus smiled and ate his breakfast in unusual silence.

"Why do you claw your eye socket anyway? I know damn well you could afford a glass eye or another reparative surgery of some kind."

"It's my punishment, Kaiba-boy. I did such awful things…" Pegasus lowered his gaze. _To you, especially_.

"Idiot…" Kaiba looked away from Pegasus's lowered eyes. "Hurting yourself never solves anything."

"Seto…" Pegasus glanced upwards. "You're right. But I never thought you could forgive me."

"Neither did I."

~*~

The two men finished their breakfast in awkward silence. Kaiba never looked up from his plate but was very aware he was being watched. Pegasus glanced at him in between bites and sighed. Once they both finished, Kaiba looked up and glared into the gaze that met his.

"Okay, what?"

"I have to know, how do you _really_ feel about me?" Pegasus braced himself.

"You irritate me, repulse me, inconvenience me, and torture me. You confuse my head, my heart, and my body. You give me migraines and make me doubt my own motives, abduct me, and make me physically ill."

"N-now Kaiba-boy, I said you could go home at any time…" Pegasus stammered.

"However," Kaiba continued. "I realized it when I thought you might die from blood loss. I need you…alive, with me."

"Ngh?" Pegasus blinked in disbelief. Kaiba turned his head as he spoke.

"I owe a lot to you actually…I've just been too stubborn to admit it. If you hadn't created Duel Monsters cards, I might never have stepped from Gozaburo's shadow. If Mokuba hadn't given me those cards…and his drawing of the Blue Eyes White Dragon, I might have never gained my independence from that man. However, after everything that's happened, I keep telling myself I should hate you, that you're worse than scum, that you'd be better off dead. I know I _should _hate you."

"And do you?"

"…no. I can't." Kaiba shuddered and turned back to Pegasus. "Tell me, when I was unconscious during the Duelist Kingdom finals, what did you do to me?"

"Nothing, I'm not that evil." Pegasus blinked again.

"You have a strange sense of logic."

"So do you," Pegasus retorted and smiled.

"Do you swear you didn't do anything to me, Pegasus?"

"I do." Pegasus relaxed back into the chaise. "And even if I had wanted to, there would have been no joy in it for me if you didn't know about it."

"I give up…I'll trust you," Kaiba sighed, suddenly exhausted. "I need to talk to someone…other than you." Kaiba frowned, he couldn't talk to Mokuba about it, but who did that leave him? Pegasus nodded towards him.

"Use the phone in here. I use it when I'm too engrossed in a book to go across the hall to my office." With that, he curled up in the chaise and went back to reading. Kaiba moved to the table where the phone was and sat back down. It was unnerving to have his back to Pegasus, but at least he could see his reflection in the monitor. Kaiba realized then that he had nobody to talk to that didn't irritate him and finding an adult among them was up to subjection. He clicked through Pegasus's phone numbers searching for someone acceptable. He paused when he got to Otogi Ryuuji's name—he too was a game creator and dealt with Pegasus on a regular basis. He'd also be the most likely to keep quiet about it. Kaiba sighed and dialed the number to Otogi's Dungeon Dice Monsters Headquarters.

"Otogi Ryuuji here," deep green eyes greeted him as the camera was turned on. "Kaiba! To what do I owe this pleasure?"

"I need to speak with someone I can carry on an adult conversation with, minus the annoyances."

"By annoyances, I assume you mean Honda and Jounouchi," Otogi smiled.

"Perhaps…"

"They're okay once you build up a tolerance. Look what they bought me." Otogi held his hand up to the camera, revealing a bright diamond ring flanked by two black pearls.

"So you guys are…"

"A threesome, yes," Otogi laughed. "Legal or not, we are."

"What I say goes no further than us."

"Agreed, and I trust you to do the same."

"I…" Kaiba's voice lowered, aware of the other in the room. "I need advice."

"What can I do for you?" Otogi leaned forward and rested his head on his hands.

"How do you tell if you're in love?" Kaiba noticed Otogi flush and smile knowingly.

"Well, when you can't stop thinking of that person, and it hurts when you're apart…and you feel like you're not whole without them."

"I see…"

"There's a fine line between love, lust, and obsession…it's a bit hard to explain at times." Otogi sighed. "But I believe true love means being willing to give your life for them, or letting them go if you have to, no matter how much it hurts to do so. You want that person to be happy in his or her life, even if that means you aren't in it. With lust, you get your fill and move on—with obsession, you would never want to let that person go, even if it would benefit them." His eyes grew misty as he spoke; clearly he was going over things in his head he felt no need to share.

"Okay, thank you." Kaiba turned slightly and rubbed his forehead, accidentally showing Pegasus to the camera.

"Oh, what happened to Pegasus? He looks bad…"

"He tossed himself out a window… he's okay now."

"Cute, he's sleeping. Well you'd better take good care of him. Call me if you need anything else," Otogi winked and hung up. Kaiba walked over to where Pegasus had curled up and smiled very slightly.

"I think I've figured it out."

~*~

Later that evening, the rain came back with a vengeance. Kaiba was glad he thought to get the repairs done while Pegasus slept off his painkillers. After the two grew bored with the library, Kaiba helped Pegasus to the couch. As the storm outside raged, Kaiba found Pegasus's head on his shoulder.

"Are you going to be okay?"

"I think so…"

"You'd better be. I'm not saving your life this time." Kaiba rolled his eyes as he spoke.

"I was surprised you did the first time," Pegasus whispered.

Kaiba looked away and pulled his arm free, then let his hand come to rest on Pegasus's middle. As the storm worsened, the closer Pegasus moved to Kaiba. The younger man alternated between comforting and insulting the older, both tactics keeping Pegasus from dark thoughts. As the storm ended, Kaiba felt Pegasus go limp and fall from his shoulder and onto his lap.

"Those must be strong painkillers," Kaiba smirked as he gently caressed the other's silver hair. _I can't live without you._ He smiled faintly as he felt Pegasus squirm under the soft touch. _You can't live without me._ Kaiba leaned back into the couch, ready to fall asleep. _We 'complete' each other._


	11. Day Ten: Dirty Little Secret

Day Ten – Dirty Little Secret -Thursday

Kaiba should have known better than to let Pegasus sleep in his lap. He woke the next morning and groaned as the man in his lap nuzzled against his stomach and stimulated what Kaiba already felt was a growing problem. He tried to push Pegasus off, but discovered the friction made it worse.

"Pegasus," Kaiba whispered, his voice more strained than he intended. "Get off me." The man in question rose sleepily and yawned, using Kaiba's shoulder to pull himself upright.

"Hello, Sunshine." Pegasus giggled as he saw the dark glare on Kaiba's face.

"Shut the fuck up."

"Oh, right," Pegasus snaked his hand up Kaiba's thigh. "Not a morning person, I know." His hand slid underneath Kaiba's waistband. "But I know something that is." Kaiba gasped and jerked away from Pegasus's reach, blushing furiously at being caught aroused. He tapped his fingers on his leg nervously. He wasn't sure how to ask for what he wanted and so he sat, staring off into space. Pegasus watched him intently and wished he could still read the younger man's thoughts. Kaiba glanced over at Pegasus and saw him staring.

"It's not polite to gawk at people, you know." Kaiba turned his head away to hide the redness on his cheeks. Pegasus smirked and mentally compared him to a schoolgirl trying to ask her crush for a date.

"If you've got something to say, say it, Kaiba-boy."

Kaiba coughed, painfully aware of the burning in his loins, hoping it would go back down on its own without his help. He sighed and held a hand to his chest as he felt his heart race. _I guess…it wouldn't hurt to ask…_

"I was just wondering…" Kaiba murmured under his breath. "What _would_ you have done to me in the dungeon if you were a less-than-honorable man?"

"Eh?" It was Pegasus's turn to blush as he realized Kaiba's intentions. "Ah, I see…you want me to demonstrate, do you?"

"I mean, if you're still too badly hurt…" Kaiba trailed off.

"Oh no, I'd love to, er…role-play, with you, as it were…" Pegasus giggled softly and stood. "It might not be the same as Duelist Kingdom, but there are some empty cells below the castle we can use. I'll need to gather some things before we go down." He held out his hand for Kaiba who accepted it and stood.

~*~

Kaiba watched as Pegasus sat down an overnight bag with a strange feeling in his stomach—he didn't know whether he should be excited or scared by the contents of the bag. The first thing Pegasus did was move towards Kaiba and embraced him tenderly.

"I want one thing clear—I would never go this far without your consent…and I'm sorry I ever imprisoned you in the first place."

"I understand." Kaiba swallowed nervously as Pegasus locked his arms above his head against the bars with a set of fuzzy novelty handcuffs with a thin chain connecting them. He recalled that the last time he'd been down in the dungeon and he hadn't been restrained, yet been unable to move, just the same. It was different this time, very different. Pegasus leaned in and kissed Kaiba deeply as he began pulling the younger man's shirt open. He slid his fingers down the exposed chest and around towards his spine, causing the man underneath him to shudder and break the kiss slightly. Pegasus opened Kaiba's shirt all the way, unable to take it off completely at this point, and took advantage of his open mouth with his tongue as he worked at unbuckling the pants next. Kaiba moaned as he fought Pegasus's tongue with his own and struggled against his restraints as he felt the urge to touch the other man. Pegasus succeeded in freeing his willing lover from the lower half of his clothes and ran his nails with an exploratory curiosity across tender flesh. He was rewarded as Kaiba hissed and arched towards him. Pegasus broke away and stood to undress himself as the younger man opened his eyes and managed to look both lustful and irritated. Pegasus smirked as he pulled out a can of whipped cream and a bottle of strawberry wine from his bag. Kaiba hid his nervousness behind a laugh.

"You damn lush…" Pegasus smirked and sprayed the cream up and down Kaiba's body.

"Don't worry; I'll share with you, Kaiba-boy." Pegasus laughed in return as he emptied the can and spread the cream over Kaiba's chest and abdomen. "I always take a drink with dessert." He straddled the body underneath him and licked a trail up Kaiba's chest and nibbled slightly around his Adam's apple and licked up to his chin. "Ah, not yet… I have more work to do." Pegasus grinned and popped open his bottle of wine and poured it down Kaiba's chest and stomach, creating a stream through the puffy foam. Pegasus moved down and licked up the stream of wine and cream and then back up to kiss Kaiba and share the liquids on his tongue. Kaiba moaned and kissed Pegasus hungrily, frustrated at being so bound. Pegasus broke the kiss and moved down lower and licked the cream from Kaiba's left nipple.

"Ah..!" Kaiba gasped and arched against the mouth that was devouring him. Pegasus smiled and wrapped his arms around the writhing body as he teased the nipple with his tongue and gently sucked, then moved to do the same to the right one. When he finished, he purred up at Kaiba.

"Feel good..?"

"Enough teasing, take me as I am…" Kaiba hissed and rattled the cuffs against the bar.

"Such impatience…" Pegasus smiled. "I wouldn't have you any other way. But not yet…soon, I promise. I still have to prepare you." He reached into the bag and pulled out a bottle of lubrication as he spread Kaiba's legs apart.

"How long have you had that?" Kaiba's brow rose.

"Never you mind," Pegasus opened the bottle and poured some onto his fingers. Kaiba squirmed slightly as Pegasus pressed them against his opening. He winced as Pegasus opened him and spread the lubrication inside. Pegasus could sense that Kaiba was too irritated with him to worry about a minor inconvenience when he knew what he wanted. Pegasus smiled and coated his own erection with the gel and slowly pressed inside. Kaiba felt tears come to his eyes and growled as he was penetrated and pressed back against Pegasus.

"More," Kaiba breathed deeply and desperately tried to free himself from the handcuffs. Pegasus leaned in close and kissed him passionately as he thrust himself all the way in. He waited to feel the body underneath him relax more and began pumping in and out. The two men lost themselves as passion overtook them. Kaiba managed to break the handcuffs against the bars of the cell as throes of ecstasy wracked his body. His hands found their way into Pegasus's hair; his fingers curled and pulled the silver strands as their bodies moved together. Kaiba's vision went white and a roar ripped from his throat as Pegasus brought him to completion. Pegasus shuddered as the erotic noises from his young lover pushed him over the edge as well and screamed in pleasure as he released inside him. He remembered pulling free from his body and falling against him.

~*~

Kaiba sighed as he stroked Pegasus's hair as he still felt the tingling sensations all over his body. _He would pass out on top of me, wouldn't he?_ He felt Pegasus breathing so he didn't worry about him being in any danger. Kaiba drifted into a sleep after convincing himself it was okay to do so, Pegasus was just exhausted, and he knew why. They were awakened several hours later by a scream—a female scream. Kaiba blinked as he recognized the scream of one Anzu Mazaki and became very aware of the reason behind this sudden shout, pulling his coat around himself and Pegasus. The girl, Yuugi, Jounouchi, and Honda were standing on the other side of the cell bars. Anzu was hiding her face in Yuugi's hair as the boys looked on in shock.

"Pegasus! What have you done to Kaiba?" Yuugi shrieked. "The rumors were bad, but I never thought…"

"What are you doing here? How did you get here?" Kaiba sneered. "What rumors?"

"The thing is, Kaiba…there are some bad tabloids on the outside," Honda cut in. "Seems a contractor fixing your window took pictures of the damage and is accusing Pegasus of kidnap and attempted murder. I tried telling Yuugi it wasn't true, but Mokuba found out and tracked your Blue Eyes jet's location…"

"It wasn't my fault," Jounouchi muttered. "Your kid brother's a sharp little shit."

"Otogi didn't tell you what was going on between us?" Kaiba cocked his head to the side. _Huh. On one hand, annoying, on the other…he kept his promise._

"You talked to our Ryuuji, but not us? I know we tease you, but we do it because we like you," Honda laughed. Kaiba stroked Pegasus's back as the older man hid his face against his chest.

"How could this rumor have spread so fast? I just got it repaired yesterday." Kaiba groaned.

"The internet makes it a lot easier, Kaiba." Honda frowned.

"Well, as you can see…rumors of my supposed torture are nothing but lies. I'm…happy here, with Pegasus." Kaiba glared at them. "He almost killed himself; he doesn't need your accusations right now. We'll deal with these tabloids ourselves. Now get the hell out!" The four apologized and fled the dungeon as quickly as they could under Kaiba's merciless gaze.

"Are they gone?" Pegasus peeked out from under Kaiba's coat and sighed. "I should have known something like this would happen."

"How could you?" Kaiba nuzzled the top of Pegasus's head. "I don't think you planned to toss yourself out a window in the first place."

"Well, we've wasted half a day…how about we go wash up and have a late lunch?" Pegasus blushed with a smile.

"Might as well…" Kaiba smirked as he attempted standing. "If we can make it back upstairs…"


	12. Day Eleven: Taking Care of Business

Day Eleven – Taking Care of Business - Friday

Seto Kaiba woke to the sound of Pegasus's voice. He glanced around and wiped sleep from his eyes as he realized it wasn't directed at him and that he was speaking in French. Kaiba rose and listened.

"…_and I don't care what your paid witness says. I didn't kidnap, nor did I attack Seto Kaiba. I suggest you cease these lies or you'll have both our attorneys after your job."_ Kaiba heard plastic hit a hard surface followed by a sigh. Pegasus walked back in and noticed him standing by the desk.

"Tabloids?" Kaiba asked.

"Of course," Pegasus ran a hand through his hair. "Nothing we're not used to."

"You're walking better." Kaiba coughed slightly. "Despite overdoing it yesterday."

"Ah," Pegasus smiled and blushed. "That was worth it."

"Even though those idiots showed up…"

"Still worth it."

"Don't you hurt?" Kaiba smirked.

"Don't you?" Pegasus retorted with a grin.

"Okay, so it _was_ worth it." Kaiba sat at the desk gingerly. "I'm going to have to do some work or people will start to take my disappearance seriously."

"Yes, unfortunately. Two weeks was perhaps reaching too long. I put my printer in here for you to use if you need it." Pegasus clasped his arms tightly around Kaiba's shoulders and kissed him. "Please don't get so involved that you stop eating and sleeping again."

"I have a lot to catch up on, so I can't promise anything."

"What if I help you?" Pegasus blinked. Kaiba opened his mouth to make a snide remark about how there was no way in Hell, when he remembered what Pegasus and he had been through for the duration of his stay.

"Okay…" Kaiba whispered softly, almost afraid of his own voice. "You may help."

~*~

The day progressed with Kaiba barking orders and Pegasus doing what was asked of him. Pegasus set up a multiparty videophone for Kaiba's conferences and made sure he had a working microphone and headset. He brought Kaiba dinner, tea, and anything else he needed. Kaiba concentrated on running his company so that no more tabloids could accuse his lover of kidnapping him. _Wait. Lover? Is that what he is now? And since when did I start caring what people said about him?_ Kaiba noticed more often that Pegasus would touch him at every chance he could and smile at him. _So it's true…I love him._

"Seto, we've got a problem." Pegasus's voice broke through Kaiba's thought process.

"What is it?"

"Reporters, naturally. And I don't have any of my men here to get rid of them."

"Damn nosy bastards…"

"I'll try to shoo them away, Setchan." Pegasus brushed his hand against Kaiba's shoulder as he turned and walked back out the door. Kaiba blinked and stared at the spot where Pegasus had been.

"_What_ did he just call me?"

~*~

Pegasus stood at the balcony and addressed the crowd of reporters below.

"You are trespassing on private property. Leave now and I won't press charges."

"We want to know the truth. What have you done with Seto Kaiba?" One asked.

"Is it true you're holding him prisoner?" Another cut in. "I heard that he's been holding conferences here instead of at his office building."

"Now look…" Pegasus growled, only to find himself silenced by a slender arm. Kaiba stepped forward and ignored Pegasus's whisper of protest.

"The Japanese, European, and American authorities have been alerted. If you don't leave, you will all go to prison. If you want to talk to us, set up a press conference like honest journalists, if that's not too difficult for you to understand. The helicopters will start arriving in five minutes now." Kaiba pointed towards the sky. Cameras were thrown around recklessly as the reporters packed up, not willing to tempt fate. As the police arrived to drive out the stragglers, one bold cameraman snapped one shot as he made his escape.

"You didn't have to do that." Pegasus sighed.

"It's the only way to deal with them—threatening them never helps, you have to take action." Kaiba removed a hand from Pegasus's waist that he hadn't realized was there. Pegasus closed the door and engaged Kaiba in a heated kiss. Kaiba responded enthusiastically until he felt Pegasus's hand on his bare chest and broke away. "No…just hold me…please." Pegasus blinked, then nodded and complied.

"I would be honored to do just that." Kaiba curled into his arms and closed his eyes. Pegasus held him close and smiled. _I remember now when I first met you…_

~*~*~

The boy ran to catch up with the tall man ahead of him but could never reach. He stopped and smiled as he greeted the portrait outside his father's office.

"_Okaasan, ohayo! Was that right? Oh no, it's too formal, I know. Mother, I can't bring myself to refer to you as 'haha,' this language is just too ridiculous_." He smiled and touched the portrait. His eyes moved from the vivid blue eyes and he ran his fingers along the painted silver waves of hair that encircled his mother.

"_Hey there, birthday boy_." The tall man clasped his hand on the nine-year old's shoulder. "_Son, I want you to meet a friend of mine from Japan_." The boy looked up to his father and the man standing with him. "_This is Aoshimaru of the prestigious Shinomori family. He came to visit us with his wife and newborn son_."

"_Pleased to meet you. I heard you're learning Japanese, and at such a young age, too_."

"_Nice to meet you_." The small boy bowed politely. "_Watashi wa Pegasus desu_."

"_Very good_," Aoshimaru laughed. "_So, today is your birthday, Pega-kun? October is a very good month; my son will have his very first birthday on the 25th. Would you like to meet him?_" Pegasus smiled and nodded. The older men led Pegasus into the office where a woman rocked a small bundle in her arms.

"_Hello there_," the lady smiled at Pegasus as he walked towards her.

"_This is my wife and our son, Seto_." Aoshimaru motioned to his family. Pegasus peeked at the baby who slept soundly in his mother's arms.

"_May I hold him_?" Pegasus whispered to the young mother.

"_Yes, you may. Your father has been telling us how mature you are for your age, so I trust you'll handle him gently_." Hikoba Shinomori carefully handed her baby to Pegasus and smiled. Leaving his mother's arms caused the baby Seto to wake shortly after being transferred and started to cry. After a minute, Hikoba prepared to take the baby back and comfort him, but stopped as she heard Pegasus whisper to him.

"_Shh…I won't let you fall, Setchan. I promise_…" The baby stopped crying and stared at him. Pegasus gasped as his eyes locked with the bluest eyes he had ever seen. "_He's so pretty_…"

"_Son, boys aren't called 'pretty,' they're called 'handsome' or 'charming' young men_." His father lectured.

"_No_," Pegasus insisted. "_He is. Setchan wa kirei desu_."


	13. Day Twelve: All About Us

Day Twelve – All About Us - Saturday

Kaiba woke in a fetal position on Pegasus's bed, clinging to his pillow for dear life. Behind him Pegasus was nuzzled against his neck and held him tightly to his chest. Kaiba had been dreaming about his past and was sorely reminded why he refused to sleep even after Gozaburo was overthrown. The rest of the morning was a haze. He didn't remember getting dressed or walking to the den. He certainly didn't remember getting the cup of coffee that rested in his hand. And he _knew_ he couldn't have tucked that blanket around his lap and shoulders in such a way that left his arms free. Kaiba looked up in alarm when he realized he wasn't alone.

"Ah, awake now, Kaiba-boy?" Pegasus smiled.

"How did I get here?" Kaiba rubbed his forehead.

"I helped you."

"You're feeling better?" Kaiba looked him over.

"Painkillers are working; I don't know about 'better,' _per se_…"

"Then why strain yourself?"

"Because you needed me." Pegasus paused. "It's more than just yesterday, isn't it? Something else is bothering you."

"Dreams…" Kaiba felt no reason to lie or avoid the question. "About my past."

Pegasus sat Kaiba's coffee aside and pulled the younger man to his chest.

"Would you like to talk about it?" Kaiba's eyes filled with tears as he clung to Pegasus. His mask had been broken in the short time he'd been with Pegasus. Every day from the time he became CEO, he had put forward a cold front—he was a business tycoon, nothing more. Without his mask, he crumbled into the boy who had lost almost everything.

"Does talking make it stop hurting?" Kaiba softly asked.

"It helps…" Pegasus whispered back.

"When I dream, it's always about death—mine, my parents, Mokuba—but always ends with mine…by my own hands."

"Oh, Seto…"

"I feel like I've failed my family. For so long, I forgot who they were, who I was. I've forgotten what they taught me because of the crap Gozaburo replaced it with."

"I think your parents would be proud of what you have accomplished after being forced into foster care."

"Huh. Even though I remember my family name now, I feel no need to use it—and my mother's side abandoned us and took our inheritance. Anyway, what would you know about it?" Kaiba closed his eyes.

"You meant the world to Aoshimaru and Hikoba."

Kaiba's eyes snapped open.

"How…Did you know my parents?"

"Briefly. I knew them about a year and they stopped bringing you by. Or rather, were forbidden to bring you." Pegasus rubbed the back of his head. "Probably because I tried mother's doll clothes on you."

"You did what?!"

"Hey, at the time…you were having fun too." Pegasus laughed. "I still have one picture that Father didn't confiscate."

"Yesterday…you called me Setchan."

"Yes, I always called you that…in the past."

"My mother called me that whenever I was upset or tired…"

"She must have thought my name for you was cute." Pegasus squeezed his arms around Kaiba. "When I first held you in my arms, you cried until I called you that." Kaiba trembled against his chest as Pegasus whispered in his ear. "I won't let you fall, Setchan. I promise I'll keep you safe."

~*~

After two hours and two Aspirin tablets, Kaiba regained his usual composure.

"Show me the picture." He demanded.

"Picture? What picture?" Pegasus looked at him innocently.

"Cut the crap, you know what picture I mean."

"You're not going to rip it up, are you?" Pegasus stood and walked to a nearby display case.

"Maybe. Depends on how ridiculous I look."

Pegasus pulled a sketchbook from the case with yellowing pages.

"I hid the picture in here. My father was something of a homophobe. He caught me playing with mother's dolls more than a few times. I'm not sure what happened, but after I developed these pictures, I never saw you again." Pegasus opened the book to a couple of pages glued together. He slid a letter opener between them and pried them apart, then pulled a laminated photograph from its hiding spot. "Here." Kaiba snatched the photograph of himself as a baby in a unique dress with wings.

"I always knew you were demented, Pegasus. I just didn't realize how long you'd been that way." He flicked it back at Pegasus. "Make sure nobody ever sees that or I _will_ kill you myself."

"You'll let me keep it?"

"Do what you want, I don't care—as long as nobody finds out it's me."

"Mother designed dresses, for dolls and people. She was planning on making that a full ball gown someday, but that was the last thing she created before she died." Pegasus sat back down carelessly as a dreary look set in his good eye. Kaiba looked at him from his blind side. He reached up and moved silver hair from Pegasus's left cheek, which caused him to flinch and tense before he realized it was only Kaiba.

"Sorry," Kaiba muttered and jerked his hand away. "It's raining again, are you okay?"

"Perfect." Pegasus wiped a tear from his good eye and smiled at him. "Because of you, Seto."

Kaiba leaned his head against Pegasus's shoulder.

"So I guess it's true, you knew me and my parents, before…"

"Yes, and I regret losing touch—I might have saved you the trouble you went through." Pegasus wrapped his arms around Kaiba and rested their heads together." It was the year after that I met Cyndia. Things progressed as Father planned and I knew in my heart it was true love, even though we were just seventeen we planned to marry, but well, fate had other plans."

"That's a load of bullshit," Kaiba snorted. "You lived, she died, then you went insane—that I believe, but 'fate' is nonsense and 'true love' is a fairy tale." Pegasus lifted his head and laughed at Kaiba's sobering realism.

"Maybe you're right…"

"Shut up, Pegasus." Kaiba shifted and kissed him forcefully. "I'm hungry." Pegasus happily complied and stood, lifting the younger man to carry him to the dining room despite Kaiba's half-hearted protests.

_Ah,_ Pegasus thought. _But I still think everything happens for a reason…or you wouldn't be here in my arms right now…_


	14. Day Thirteen: Shattered Dreams

Day Thirteen – Shattered Dreams - Sunday

The world shook and split apart Seto Kaiba from his brother as rain and lightning filled the sky. Kaiba saw nothing but knew his brother was there. He turned his head, only to be met with the same blackness in every direction.

"_Why, Seto? Why did you let Pegasus see all your passwords_?" Mokuba's voice rang out over the chasm. "_Now he can take over Kaiba Corporation_!"

"_No, Mokuba…that's not right_…"

"_Honestly, Kaiba-boy, you should have known better_." Pegasus's voice sounded from behind him. "_I've gotten all I want from you, and it wasn't that hard to do_."

"_But, wait—this wasn't our deal_." Kaiba's eyes widened as he searched for the voice's owner. "_You wanted nothing else in return_!"

"_Always get it in writing_." Kaiba felt a jolt against his back and fell into the dark void. He turned around in midair and saw Pegasus's face above him with an arm outstretched towards him.

~*~

Kaiba jerked awake, panting and sweating as he trembled against the blanket. He glanced around quickly and noticed he was in Pegasus's room. The rain had become a full-blown storm overnight and rattled against the window.

"Seto?" A soft whisper breathed by his ear. "What's the matter, what's frightened you?"

"You bastard…"

"Seto? You're still dreaming." Pegasus put his hands on Kaiba's shoulders.

"No, I'm finally awake for the first time since I got here." Kaiba stood and shoved Pegasus away.

"What are you talking about?" Pegasus slid off the bed and approached him.

"I can't believe I allowed myself to trust you!" Kaiba growled. "Bringing me here, feeding me with lies and sob stories—it was all an elaborate plot to lure me into a false sense of security. Damn you!" He lunged at Pegasus and grabbed hold of his throat. "I bet you staged your attempted suicide too!"

"Seto!" Pegasus gasped to take a breath. "That's not true!"

"How can I believe anything you say? You've been lying to me since the beginning!" Kaiba released him long enough to backhand him. "Quit calling me Seto, you haven't the right!" Pegasus winced and backed up to the patio door.

"Please, I'll do anything to prove myself to you, just name it."

Kaiba snorted and regarded him.

"You're a fraud and a trickster, why would anything you do prove anything?" Pegasus briefly saw tears glimmer in Kaiba's eyes which were quickly hidden. "You just want to destroy my company and my family."

"Kaiba, I don't give a _damn_ about your company anymore! Yours _and_ mine can burn in Hell for all I care! Please listen…"

"You know all my secrets now." Kaiba pushed him up against the glass. "I could kill you and nobody would miss you."

"That's probably true…" Pegasus agreed sadly. Kaiba shoved him once again through the glass, making Pegasus shriek as shards pierced through his skin. Kaiba backed him against the railing so that he was bent almost backwards over the balcony. Pegasus's tears were lost in the rain as he closed his eye and waited for the final shove. Instead, the drops continued to beat down on his face without pause.

"You made me care for you…" Kaiba's voice whispered and trembled. Pegasus opened his eye to see Kaiba's tears now mixing with the merciless rain.

"I'm sorry that I hurt you, I wish I could take it all away…"

"How could I be so foolish?" Kaiba's hands shook as he pushed Pegasus against the rail.

"_Ai shiteru_…"

"Don't…" Kaiba shuddered. "You have no concept of the true meanings of that phrase…." He looked at Pegasus and faintly saw the image of a Blue Eyes White Dragon curling around him protectively like a mother. _What...? Blue Eyes?_

"I'll be happy to die for you, if that is truly what you desire." Pegasus smiled effortlessly through his pain at Kaiba. "But only for you."

"No, this isn't what I want, but…" Kaiba breathed hard. "You _used_ me! I know you're trying to confuse and trick me. If not for my company, then just to get in my pants." He looked disgusted with himself and closed his eyes. "My dream showed me the truth…it made perfect sense."

"Tell me what you saw," Pegasus winced as glass dug into his back against the railing.

"I saw…nothing. I heard Mokuba, then your voice…" Kaiba clenched his eyes shut tighter as he recalled the nightmare. "I was pushed off the cliff, but I didn't see who did it. I turned around in midair and saw your face there, and your arm was outstretched. Your lips moved…but there was no sound." Kaiba frowned. "Wait, your hand was overturned—it was _reaching_ for me." _'I won't let you fall'_ Kaiba's eyes snapped open. "I see now…I didn't realize it." _'By my own hands…' _ "I pushed myself down that cliff, and just as I woke, your hand reached mine."

"Seto!" Pegasus gasped as the wet railing slipped beneath his hands. Kaiba grabbed Pegasus by the end of his nightshirt and pulled him upright into his arms.

"I… I won't let you fall, either." Kaiba shook. "Now you're hurt again. I'm…sorry."

"Flesh grows back, my dear Kaiba-boy. Mending the spirit is trickier." Pegasus embraced him tightly.

~*~

The doctors were concerned with Pegasus's apparent relapse and scolded them both of the dangers of pneumonia. It took hours to convince them he'd accidentally fallen backwards through the door after slipping on something. When they were sure everything was alright, Pegasus joined Kaiba in the den. He was shocked by the menacing look Kaiba was giving the television.

"What now?"

"Those bastards…" Kaiba turned the volume up.

"…the CEO's apparent disappearance was acknowledged by Mokuba Kaiba as a trip for his health, debunking rumors of any kidnappings or other…"

"How dare they involve Mokuba?" Kaiba's nails dug into the sofa.

"Humans are horrible, nosy creatures. You know that." Pegasus sighed.

"…took this picture, sprouting more rumors of a liaison between the two men." Kaiba froze as he heard the television. On the screen was a picture of him on the balcony with his hand on Pegasus's waist as he led the older man inside.

"That's it. I have serious work to do. Don't bother me for the rest of the day." Kaiba stood and ran to his former room and makeshift office.

"Seto!" Pegasus followed him and tried to open the door, only to find it tightly locked.

"Damn…"


	15. Day Fourteen: Something to Talk About

Author's note: This story has been drastically changed in some aspects, so I strongly suggest re-reading the story from the beginning as some chapters have been altered, while some have been lengthened. I started this story years ago (before a certain movie came out) so I felt it was time for some revising, since much of the current chapters revolve around the layout of Pegasus's home in the Yu-gi-oh movie which I came to realize is NOT Duelist Kingdom, so changes are in order.

Day Fourteen – Something to Talk About

As the first rays of light made their way through the windows, Pegasus woke to find himself tightly tucked into bed. Confused, he rubbed his good eye blearily and looked around the room to find it empty.

"Kaiba?" Pegasus pulled the blankets off and carefully climbed out of the bed. He noticed a tray on the desk with his painkillers and a glass of water. Pegasus took his medication and ran a hand over Kaiba's laptop. _He's still here…somewhere._ Pegasus smiled sadly as he realized it had finally reached the two week mark. When Kaiba entered the room he raised an eyebrow as he watched Pegasus smiling fondly at the inanimate object.

"Pegasus, you've lost it. But then, I guess you never had it." Kaiba smirked as Pegasus turned to see him. "I arranged a press conference later today at Kaibacorp Paris. Today is the last day in our agreement and I can't think of any better time to announce the results." Pegasus winced as he heard the cold businesslike tone that Kaiba had reverted back to. He quickly wiped away a forming tear as though to dismiss it as a remnant of sleep.

"Yes, you can let the world know that everything of mine now belongs to you." Pegasus traversed the room and wrapped his arms around Kaiba gently. "I'm sorry I put you in this position, it was wrong of me to do so. After today…I'll miss you."

"What are you talking about, Pegasus?" Kaiba rested his arms on top of Pegasus's.

"I should disappear for awhile…you have Mokuba to think of, after all. You're still young and I shouldn't have taken advantage of you…you should be free to date around—it's unfair of me to keep you to myself just because I'm the only lover you've ever known." Pegasus let go of him and Kaiba turned around.

"Pegasus…do you honestly believe that?" Kaiba frowned and folded his arms. "You've given me more than enough opportunities to leave and never see you again. I don't _want_ to date around or find a new lover to compare you with. After all we've been through, you're stuck with me."

"Seto…" Pegasus smiled and kissed him gently. "If you're positive this is what you want…"

"You're poison and I'm addicted to you…you're in my blood now, just as I am in yours." Kaiba kissed him back and threaded his fingers through Pegasus's hair, then smirked. "Marry me?"

"Of course, Kaiba-boy," Pegasus beamed. "But first I think you should tell Mokuba so he doesn't find out about this from an outside source."

"As soon as he gets home from school, he has instructions to call me." Kaiba licked his lips and backed Pegasus against the bed. "We've got about an hour before then…" Pegasus blushed as he was forced into a sitting position and Kaiba began unbuttoning and removing his shirt. Kaiba carefully removed the bandages around his torso and threw them in the trash, then grabbed the antiseptic wipes from the medical supplies and began cleaning his scars and stitches. He leaned in close and nibbled Pegasus's neck while tending to the new ones on his back to distract him from the stinging. Kaiba moved away and grabbed fresh bandages, then continued dressing the wounds.

"Oh Seto…you're a wonderful nurse." Pegasus purred as Kaiba gently pushed him back down on the bed and climbed on top of him with one leg on either side.

"You think so huh?" Kaiba gave him a smug look and leaned down to kiss him ardently. Pegasus held him close as they kissed and ran his nails along the back of Kaiba's neck which made the young man shiver appreciatively. Before Kaiba could do anything else, the phone attached to the laptop began to ring and both men froze. On the second ring, Kaiba leapt off the bed and smoothed out his clothes as he went to answer and Pegasus grabbed his shirt and started putting it back on .

"Seto!" Mokuba shouted through the phone. "The press is saying such awful things about you. I'm glad you're okay, big brother—Yuugi wouldn't tell me what happened when he and his friends went to check on you."

"I'm okay, Mokuba." Kaiba smiled at his little brother's concern. "The tabloids just want to drag us through the mud for a profit, that's all. We're taking care of it, don't worry."

"Seto, I saw the picture that guy took. I can see why they'd think you were…" Mokuba blushed. "It's not true, is it Seto?"

"Actually," Kaiba began to redden. "That's one of the things I wanted to talk to you about…" He coughed. "When I come home to pick you up, Pegasus is coming to live with us."

"What?!" Mokuba's eyes widened. "You can't be serious! Why?"

"This is probably a bad time to tell you, but…" Pegasus walked up behind Kaiba in the chair and wrapped his arms around his shoulders as he faced the webcam. "I love your brother, Mokuba-boy."

"Seto, how did this happen?" Mokuba stared blankly through the camera with his mouth agape.

"It's…complicated, Mokuba." Kaiba sighed and rubbed his forehead. "I just wanted you to find out the truth from me before I address the conference tonight."

"Alright, but you're telling me everything when you get home, and don't try to skip any of the details. I already know all about sex from health class."

"Mokuba!" Kaiba's face turned deeper red as Pegasus began snickering behind him.

"And if you don't tell me, I'll ask Pegasus myself." Mokuba pointed out. "And I'm sure he'll exaggerate so I'll have to confirm the story with you anyway."

"He's got you there, Kaiba-boy." Pegasus chuckled.

"Fine," Kaiba groaned. "When we get back home, we'll talk alright?"

"I hope to see you soon, big brother. I miss you!"

"I miss you too, Mokuba." Kaiba smiled. "I'll be home as soon as possible."

"Bye, Seto." Mokuba waved to the camera and hung up.

"That went well." Pegasus nuzzled against Kaiba's neck.

"Hn. We should get ready for the conference." Kaiba pushed his arms away and stood. "Tomorrow," he smirked. "I bet we'll make the front page."

~*~

The conference room at Kaibacorp Paris was packed from one wall to the other. News teams from America, France, Germany, England, Japan, and other countries focused on the stage where Pegasus and Kaiba stood.

"I assume you all know why we're here," Kaiba started. "It's because I haven't been seen in Japan for two weeks and as a result, some rumors have been spreading. We are here today to set the records straight. Issue number one: My disappearance. This is no more than a blatant attempt by paparazzi to fabricate a story. Everyone close to me knew where I was and why I was there—it isn't your concern what I do on my vacations." Kaiba glared at those present.

"Mister Kaiba! Terri Wilson of Fox News." An American reporter spoke up. "Is it true you're having an affair with Mister Crawford?" Kaiba smirked and laughed derisively at the woman who had the tenacity to ask him such a personal question.

"An affair, Miss Wilson?" Kaiba laughed. "No, I am not having an _affair_ with Pegasus. Having said that, I will tell you one thing—we are merging our companies together. From this day forth, Kaiba Corporation will be Kaibacorp Illusions." Kaiba reached over and clasped Pegasus's hand. "We are _not_ having an affair, however, we _are_ engaged." He pulled Pegasus into a gentle kiss as the crowd roared and cameras flashed.

~*~

It was dark by the time the black limo pulled up in front of the game shop. Two men stepped out and knocked on the resident door. Yuugi Mutou opened the door to see Pegasus and Kaiba standing side by side.

"Kaiba, you're back!"

"Is Mokuba awake?" Kaiba snorted at Yuugi.

"Nice to see you, too." Yuugi laughed. "Come inside you two, everyone's inside. We've been waiting for you, actually. He stepped aside to let Kaiba pass.

"You'll have to excuse him, Yuugi-boy," Pegasus chuckled as he stepped inside and shut the door. "He's only being himself." Yuugi nodded in agreement as they followed behind Kaiba. Mokuba was the first to notice the visitors and ran to his big brother.

"Seto!" Mokuba hugged his brother tightly. "I missed you so much!" Kaiba smiled and squeezed his brother in his arms.

"Hey Kaiba!" Jounouchi started to pat Kaiba on the back until suddenly he was the victim of a piercing glare.

"Don't even think about it."

"Ooh, scary!" Jounouchi ran to Honda and mock cried as he leapt into his arms. "Honda, Kaiba doesn't like me!"

"I'm not surprised." Honda laughed and gave Kaiba a nod of greeting. "Welcome back."

"Pegasus! Long time no see!" Otogi walked up and hugged him. "I was glad to hear the good news." He gave Kaiba a dangerous look. "You'd better take good care of him."

"I will…" Kaiba scowled with a faint blush. "Otogi, I want to thank you for your advice, but if you think you can threaten me…"

"Now Kaiba," Pegasus interrupted him and smirked. "Play nice."

"Mokuba, let's go home." Kaiba turned to leave.

"Bye Yuugi, bye guys!" Mokuba waved and followed after his big brother. Pegasus grinned as he waved and made his exit as well.

~*~

Kaiba sighed as he entered the mansion with Mokuba and Pegasus following him. _It seems so long since I've been here_. Pegasus smiled and wrapped his arms around him as he stood in the doorway. Kaiba blinked as he saw Mokuba watching and shoved Pegasus away from him. Mokuba failed to hold back a laugh as his brother flushed.

"Seto, you don't have to pretend you hate his affection in front of me," Mokuba smiled. "If he makes you happy, I'm fine with it."

"Alright, Mokuba…if you're sure you're okay with this." Kaiba smiled fondly at his brother.

"I'm sorry we had to deceive you, Seto, but I knew Pegasus was going to take you away for two weeks. I was worried about you and he agreed to help." Mokuba lowered his eyes for a moment as he paused, then grinned. "You look so much healthier since you left. But, I never imagined you'd fall in love with him."

"Neither did I." Kaiba snorted.

"Well, I still want to know how it happened, but we'll save that conversation for later." Mokuba walked up to Pegasus and shyly hugged him. "Thank you…" He smiled at both of them and headed for his room. "Goodnight."

"I'm not looking forward to that conversation," Kaiba glared at Pegasus. "This whole thing is your fault you know."

"Of course it is," Pegasus rolled his eyes and wrapped an arm around Kaiba's waist as he responded with sarcasm. "That was my plan all along—to make Mokuba ask you about your love life just to embarrass you."

"Anything you ever do is embarrassing, so why would that not surprise me?" Kaiba smirked and leaned against Pegasus as they walked to the master bedroom.

"Please, if I wanted to embarrass you, I could think of such better ways to do it." Pegasus lifted him into his arms and carried him into the bedroom. "And believe me…I would."

~*~


End file.
